Opinion: Shedding Light on the Height of Stetson Bennett
The opinions expressed in this article are not the views of Top Dawg Blogs. This article is the views of the writer with statistics and research to support his opinion.
On a cold night in the North Georgia mountains in 1995, I played in my last high school football game. I was QB1 in a wishbone based offense that threw the ball maybe five times a game. Nearing the end of the game, we were down by less than a touchdown, and coach schemed up play action, a backside post route that was entirely uncovered by the defense. I remember it like it was three minutes ago.
I never saw the receiver running all alone, flailing his arms like he had just discovered girls and beer.
In my 20 starts at quarterback, this was the only time I was benched. I’ve replayed that play a million times over the last 25 years, and the truth of the matter is that even at 5’11” I couldn’t see over an offensive line that averaged only 6’1.
When I imagine what it is like for our beloved QB1, Stetson Bennett, it seems nearly impossible for him to operate at an elite level. It isn’t a knock against him, and believe me, I love his story and his courage, and most importantly, his team does too. However, just like I’ll never be a male model, I believe Stetson Bennett will likely never be an elite quarterback.
He is listed at 5’ 11, but I would venture a healthy wager that they are squeezing an inch. I’m a little over 5’ 11 and when standing beside him I’m noticeably taller. In addition, our offensive line averages over 6’4. Not to mention these are some rather girthy humans, and I’ve never seen a lineman you could see through.
The average height of quarterbacks in Division I college football is 6’2, with 60% of the starting quarterbacks being 6’2 or taller. 92% of starting quarterbacks are over 6’0. In the NFL, we see the same thing except the average is 6’3” and QBs under 6’0 are rarities. There are exceptions like Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson, and my favorite Doug Flutie. This does not change the numbers game for Stetson, though; it only stands to solidify that the odds are very much against him.
One of the things that I remember about passing the ball was that the later in the game it got, the more often our offensive linemen were stood up in pass protection. This is part of defensive lineman training. Stand up the o-linemen, get your hands on them, and create some space so you can see what’s going on in the backfield. What this makes for a quarterback looking downfield is definitive lanes of sight. So, what you see is glimpses of receivers and coverage instead of an overall view of the field. Timing and targeting become very difficult, and if you wondered why a wide-open receiver goes unnoticed, I could assure you this is part of the issue.
Second, when coverage is tight, and the receivers need to react and try to get open, they have to look back to the quarterback to see where he is heading and looking. Can you imagine being downfield and trying to find Stetson IV among massive SEC offensive and defensive lineman?
Lastly, consider that height also affects arm length. Fromm is 6’ 2 and for the sake of attempted accuracy, we’ll say Stetson is 5’ 10. An average wingspan of the two will also have a 4-inch difference, which we cut in half because we’re only throwing with one arm which adds two inches. So, we have a total of 6 inch differential in ball release point between Fromm and Stetson. This is a BIG deal.
After rewatching the Alabama game, three of the five batted passes most likely don’t get batted with an additional 6 inch of height on the ball. The six-inch ball release point differential also affects the launch angle.
One of the many lessons that I was taught as a QB was to deliver the ball at or below the numbers in a downward or flat trajectory. Especially in the middle of the field, which will likely be crowded with DBs. When a shorter QB throws over the middle with a low launch angle, those balls get tipped and picked. We are fortunate this has not happened more.
I love the kid. Moxy and guts don’t begin to describe what he’s got. I firmly believe that he will be wildly successful in life, and I’m proud of what he’s overcome. BUT… Moxy and guts alone don’t make an elite quarterback.
So far, Stetson IV has been inconsistent in decisions and delivery. He is ineffective outside the hashes passing and seems to have trouble working through progressions. I believe both of these issues are related to his height and being able to locate targets. His QBR has been better than average but considers the weapons he has at his disposal and the incredible upgrade we’ve made at the offensive coordinator. All in all, I contend that we need to accept Stetson IV for what he is, a very high functioning back up that doesn’t have the physical tools to be a championship-level quarterback in today’s college football game. I would love to be proven wrong, and sincerely hope Stetson continues to prove all of the doubters wrong!