After Six Years at UGA, Did Rams QB Stetson Bennett Actually Walk Away Without a Degree?
It’s not every day that a college football quarterback becomes a full-blown legend. But that’s exactly what happened with Stetson Bennett at the University of Georgia. He went from a walk-on backup to the guy who brought home two national championships. He became a household name in Georgia. His story was one of those underdog journeys that everyone loves to root for. So when a quiet rumor started circulating online that he never actually graduated, people didn’t know what to think. It felt too strange to be real. How could someone who spent six years in college, who was practically the face of Georgia football, walk away without a degree?
And yet, that’s what multiple sources reported. The first big confirmation came from Sports Illustrated in 2023. They wrote that Bennett, despite being enrolled at UGA from 2017 to 2022—with a brief junior college stop in between—did not earn a degree. That statement alone opened the floodgates. Fans jumped on Reddit threads to ask how that was even possible. Former players started cracking jokes online. Cardale Jones, a former Ohio State quarterback who once famously said he wasn’t there “to play school,” tweeted about Bennett with a little smirk, fueling even more attention.
For a guy who’d just been drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, the timing was wild. You’d think the conversation would be about his NFL chances, his skills, or even his path to the league. But instead, people were focused on a diploma that seemingly didn’t exist. The curiosity wasn’t just about whether or not he graduated. It was about how someone could stay that long at a major university, be so successful on the field, and still not finish their education. It didn’t fit the story people had built around him.
What made it even more confusing was the lack of clarity from anyone directly involved. Stetson Bennett didn’t issue a statement confirming or denying the report. The University of Georgia didn’t put out a list that included him in graduation announcements. There were no pictures of him in a cap and gown. No proud posts from the school. No quiet “mission accomplished” messages from his family or teammates. Just a big, awkward silence.
And that silence made the whole thing feel even more real. Because if he had graduated, wouldn’t someone have said something by now? That’s what most people seemed to be thinking. Still, not everyone was quick to judge. Many fans pointed out that athletes often take longer to graduate due to travel, training, and game schedules. Others said that maybe he was just a few credits short and planned to finish later, once life settled down. And they could be right. After all, the NFL is a demanding career. If you’re getting drafted and preparing for a pro football life, maybe classes fall by the wayside. That’s not unusual.
But the reason this story stuck is deeper than that. It’s not just about school or sports. It’s about expectations. People watched Stetson Bennett go from unknown to icon. He wasn’t supposed to be the starter, and yet he was. He wasn’t supposed to win, and yet he did. Twice. So they expected that story to end with everything wrapped up neatly. Championships, NFL, and yes—a college degree. The missing piece isn’t just a detail. For a lot of people, it feels like something that doesn’t belong in the fairytale ending they imagined.
The truth is, college isn’t just about academics anymore—especially for athletes. It’s a full-time job when you’re playing for a powerhouse team like Georgia. Between film sessions, weightlifting, media duties, and road games, finding time for homework isn’t easy. That’s not an excuse, but it is reality. And for someone like Bennett, who had to fight for everything he got on the field, maybe the classroom wasn’t his biggest focus. That might not sit well with everyone, but it’s understandable.
Still, the lack of transparency kept the story alive. People kept asking. Did he finish his degree? Did he just walk away? Is he planning to go back? The truth is, we don’t know. As of now, there’s still no confirmed information that Stetson Bennett ever graduated. And that leaves the door open for endless speculation. Some fans claim he earned an economics degree. Others say he was close, but not quite there. Until someone official speaks up, we’re left in limbo.
What’s kind of poetic, though, is that this story—like the rest of Bennett’s journey—doesn’t follow the usual script. He wasn’t your average college star. He didn’t get five-star offers out of high school. He didn’t start right away. He didn’t even look like the prototypical quarterback. But he made it. He won. And maybe, in some ways, that’s more important than whether or not he walked across a stage holding a diploma.
That said, there’s something powerful about finishing what you started. Maybe that’s still part of the plan. A quiet semester in the offseason. A final paper submitted while on the road. Who knows? We’ve seen stranger chapters in his story already.
For now, what we do know is simple. Stetson Bennett gave Georgia fans one of the most unforgettable runs in college football history. He turned doubters into believers. He delivered when it mattered most. And yes, there’s still a little mystery around whether he officially graduated. But maybe that’s okay. Life doesn’t always tie itself up in a perfect bow. Sometimes it leaves a few threads hanging.
