Stetson Bennett is certainly comfortable in his own skin.

In his first appearance with the media since SEC Media Day in July, the senior quarterback answered a wide gamut of questions, joking with reporters, including whether or not he had any specific pregame rituals.

“I’ll go, try to find a quiet place," Bennett said. "I'll take a shower, whatever. I brush my teeth and take a shower—but not in the same place. I’ll play some old country tunes, just be by myself for about 15 minutes, cut my fingernails.”

Actually, his playlist is a bit more eclectic.

After a pause, Bennett revealed his “go-to song” is “Bubbly,” by two-time Grammy winner Cobie Caillat. “I love that song” he offered. “Then there’s “Juicy,” by Notorious B. I. G. Those are my tunes.”

Yes, this is a new, let’s say ‘chilled,’ version of Stetson Bennett.

This time last season, Bennett entered the season as Georgia’s No. 3 quarterback behind JT Daniels and Carson Beck. One year later, he’s the returning quarterback for the defending national champions, and anxious to help Georgia put together what he hopes is another memorable campaign.

“When people ask, do you play with a chip on your shoulder? If you do, then that’s where that question comes into being a question. But if this guy can only be Superman when everyone thought he couldn’t be, what happens when everybody thinks he can? Can he have that extra edge?” said Bennett.

He insists his fire continues to burn at an identical pace to last year.

“Good or bad, I really don’t worry what other people have to say,” Bennett said. “It all comes from within, because for me, I know what it feels like, and I know what it looks like to be good, and I want to be that.

"Myself, my teammates, we’re not trying to shut up the doubters, to prove everybody wrong. I take it how it comes. I wake up and try to be better than I was the previous day.”

Teammates agree.

Center Sedrick Van Pran knows Bennett better than most.

A quarterback’s relationship with his center is vital, and according to Van Pran, he and Bennett have a good thing going.

When asked the biggest change he’s seen from his quarterback, Van Pran was quick with his response.

“I would probably say his communication level. That’s one of the biggest things. Stetson and I obviously communicate a lot, different things we see with the defense,” he said. “He’s always calling me and texting me to come watch film together, to make sure we’re on the same wavelength. His communication has been stellar.”

Confidence and consistency are also considered strengths.

“I think any time you have a guy that's been in a meeting room for two and three years under the same system, it helps. But the reps help more than just the meeting room experience. He's taken more reps with the ones,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “He's gotten more quality work against the best we have to offer. He gets to go against the best we have every day, and I think that has helped his growth. Very pleased with what he's done and what he's been asked to do. We need him to play well. Need him to play well because he's a veteran player now.”

If Georgia’s offense is going to live up to its potential, Bennett will need to be the man making it happen.

“Yeah, it's a little different. Every other year, it's uncertainty. Last year, I pretty much lucked into getting to go out there and play, to an extent,” Bennett said. “This year, you get fall camp, you get spring. Now we're here. It's game week. So, it's weird, because it came faster, because you're so busy in the day. You're so busy day-to-day, practice, and all that stuff, working on little things. Last year, I wasn't quite as in tune, because not only was I not the starter, I wasn't the second-string guy. So, I was like, 'Well, you know, probably won't happen this week.' And you get so caught up in the day-to-day and the little things that you kind of lose track of the overall, 'Holy cow, it's Oregon week now.'

"Thankfully, I think we've handled it really well, and marked down on our calendars like we need to do this by this date. I’m probably a little bit more excited than I was this time last year.”