A returning national champion quarterback coming off offensive MVP performances in both playoff games who also happened to be fourth nationally in passing efficiency and third in yards per attempt. Going into the next season, one would think all you "need" from that quarterback is to be the player they were a season ago.

However, the 2022 Georgia Bulldogs are in a bit of different situation.

Losing a multitude of impact and about-to-be-highly-drafted players from a historically great defense likely ensures a step back on that side of the ball. Thus, what do the Bulldogs need from their offense? Specifically, though, what does Georgia need from Stetson Bennett, the quarterback described above, this fall as he tries to do something Trevor, Tua, and Jameis have failed to do over the past decade (i.e., repeat as champions)?

The NFL Draft is less than a week away. One or two of the quarterbacks selected over the first two rounds will likely be the day one starter for his team.

If that's the case, then 11 of the 32 starting NFL quarterbacks will be younger than Bennett when the season begins (he turns 25 during the season). It's almost 12 too as Kyler Murray, about to be in his fourth season, is a mere 82 days older than Bennett.

The intriguing part, though, is Bennett is still young when it comes to actual play experience. He has 473 career passing attempts. Bryce Young had 550 last season at Alabama. Bennett has started 17 games. Pitt's about-to-be-drafted Kenny Pickett started 49 during his college career.

Earlier in the offseason, we examined detailed elements like throwing with anticipation or play outside the pocket and how much he controlled the outcome on third down. The answer to the ultimate question above is both simple and layered. The Bulldogs need Bennett to be a professional quarterback. Let's examine what exactly that means.

There are near-infinite responsibilities placed on the quarterback. Bennett has shown the ability to handle them and thrive. The next step, though, is being a professional and hyper-focused on the minor details he can control, such as:

- footwork

- mechanics

- pre-snap reads

- control and understanding of the offense and checks

There were multiple occasions last season when he was sloppy with his footwork or appeared to misread the coverage pre-snap and took his eyes in the wrong direction (when there wasn't a post-snap change). His throwing motion/arm action sometimes got lengthy, especially when on the run, causing inaccuracies. Though his "uncatchable, inaccurate" pass rate dropped from 24.5 percent in 2020 to 17.2 percent last season (19th-lowest in the FBS), it's still an area that can be improved.

If the elements above are crisp on a consistent basis, it should allow Bennett to focus and be clear with what happens after the snap. That should lead to not missing some of the consistent layup throws offensive coordinator Todd Monken dials up for him.

All of the above lead to the one area Georgia needs Bennett to be an absolute professional given his age and experience: decision-making.

We've all seen it and Kirby Smart even discussed it recently. For all the plays Bennett makes, there's usually one or two "bone-headed" mistakes sprinkled in per game. Over the past two seasons, Bennett has 27 big-time throws (PFF's highest-graded) and 19 turnover-worthy plays, a ratio of slight less than 1.5 to 1.

Bennett's ratio this season should be at minimum 2 to 1, but at least 2.5 to 1 should be the goal (for example, 25 big-time throws and 10 turnover-worthy plays).

This season, Bennett should be a pro in his ability to quickly evaluate what's happening, take calculated risks when the opportunity arises (think Arik Gilbert's touchdowns at G-Day) and, lastly, put the ball in places only the great weapons Georgia has can make plays. He must prevent plays like the two above from the playoffs that caused his offensive coordinator to yell some choice words (yes, that definitely happened).

Further, he must be a professional by knowing his own personnel. For example, Bennett has to realize it's probably not the best idea to throw a jump ball on an out-and-up route to a well-covered John FitzPatrick (below).

What if Bennett becomes a true professional quarterback in the way I've described? With the plethora of weapons and speed Georgia has at all the skill positions, combined with Todd Monken’s play-calling/design and the likely increased opportunities because of the defensive step back, Bennett could put up some of those you-know-what worthy numbers that have been discussed on the Dawgvent this week.