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SC QB Commit Jake Bentley enrolling with 2016 class this summer, 1 year early
Posted on 4/6/16 at 7:55 am
Posted on 4/6/16 at 7:55 am
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South Carolina will be adding an elite quarterback talent to its roster sooner rather than later.
On Wednesday, four-star signal caller Jake Bentley (Opelika, Ala.) announced that he will be graduating from high school early and joining the Gamecocks program this summer.
The former Class of 2017 standout will technically reclassify to the 2016 class. “I’ve established enough credits through high school to get the opportunity to do it,” Bentley said. “After talking it over with my family, we felt it was the right thing to do and it’s a good thing for all of us.”
The 6-foot-3.5, 218-pounder is the son of Gamecocks running backs coach Bobby Bentley. Also, his brother Chas Dodd is a graduate assistant with the South Carolina program and another brother, Shuler Bentley, started eight games at quarterback for Old Dominion last season. He played at Opelika while his father, the former head coach at Byrnes High in Duncan, S.C., was an offensive analyst at Auburn under Gus Malzahn.
Family was a big factor in the decision.
“It’s going to be great (to be around family),” the younger Bentley said. “The last three years (in Alabama) have been great and moving down here has been great for me in terms of getting into a new system and getting out from under my dad and the whole ‘his dad’s system just runs up the stats’ criticism. My mom is excited. She doesn’t have to drive as much to see us play. All of my cousins and my grandparents also are right there (in South Carolina).
“I will have an awesome support group (at USC).”
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Posted on 4/6/16 at 7:57 am to GetCocky11
Typically I would say this is a bad idea, but it seems like a pretty unique family situation with his dad starting a job at USCe.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 7:59 am to Crowknowsbest
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Typically I would say this is a bad idea, but it seems like a pretty unique family situation with his dad starting a job at USCe.
Yeah, I mean, if there was ever a good situation for this, it would be this.
His family is now very involved in South Carolina football, he won't have to worry about switching high schools, and he can use what would be his HS senior year as a productive redshirt year.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:02 am to GetCocky11
Yeah somebody is getting the redshirt. we are finally getting some QB depth. Also, hopefully, this will allow us to be in contention for another 4* guy for the 2017 cycle.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:04 am to GetCocky11
If the coaches think it will benefit both him and the team, then I'm fine with it.
It's just hard to believe they'd be against another year of HS experience and in-game development, but whatever works best for the team.
It's just hard to believe they'd be against another year of HS experience and in-game development, but whatever works best for the team.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:06 am to GameCocky88
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Also, hopefully, this will allow us to be in contention for another 4* guy for the 2017 cycle.
Maybe Burmeister out of La Jolla, CA but more liked 3* QB Jelani Woods out of Georgia.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:20 am to GetCocky11
Any chance this sets a precedent for other recruits?
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:24 am to GhostofCrowell
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Any chance this sets a precedent for other recruits?
It's possible, but I'd say this is a unique situation given that his dad is on the coaching staff.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:33 am to GetCocky11
Jelani had some good balls in the rivals camp video I saw.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:52 am to GameCocky88
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Jelani had some good balls
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:53 am to WG_Dawg
yeah i thought i worded it poorly after i clicked Submit
Posted on 4/6/16 at 8:57 am to GhostofCrowell
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Any chance this sets a precedent for other recruits?
I don't think Bentley is the first recruit to ever do this, so the precedent was probably already set by someone else. He had enough credits to graduate HS after his Jr year, he has the GPA and test score to get into SC. Technically anyone else could do that too if their academics line up.
I would expect him to RS, but we'll see what happens. This is a really unique situation though. He'll basically be on campus for all the '17 cycle visiting recruits and will probably be perceived by them as the QB for that class, so that should help with recruiting. We still will probably pickup another -17 cycle QB though.
How does this change our '16 class/team ranking?
This post was edited on 4/6/16 at 9:17 am
Posted on 4/6/16 at 9:00 am to CockInYourEar
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I don't think Bentley is the first recruit to ever do this, so the precedent was probably already set by someone else. He had enough credits to graduate HS after his Jr year, he has the GPA and test score to get into SC. Technically anyone else could do that too if their academics line up.
It's a lot more common in basketball.
Football coaches would want another year of physical development before the eligibility clock starts ticking in almost all cases, I would think.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 9:10 am to Crowknowsbest
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Football coaches would want another year of physical development before the eligibility clock starts ticking in almost all cases, I would think.
This is typically true, however our case is pretty unique. Only returning consistent starter was a walkon who now has a broken collarbone, we have a guy who was highly touted out of HS Connor Mitch but he is a deer in the headlights type in game. Nunez isn't the strongest passer but may be used as a wild cat type QB in red zone situations. That leaves our new freshman QB Brandon McIlwain as really the only viable option with out Bentley. Not the best place to be in.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 9:18 am to CockInYourEar
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How does this change our '16 class/team ranking?
I looked at the 247 Class Calculator. You can't just add Bentley, at the moment, to the '16 class. So I found a '16 cycle QB with a similar 247 Composite rating, Dwayne Haskins. I added him to our class and it jumped us to 222-ish points, which would put us at #24 for the '16 Class Ranking and bump Ark out of the Top25.
This post was edited on 4/6/16 at 9:20 am
Posted on 4/6/16 at 9:33 am to GetCocky11
He's ready for college poon
Posted on 4/6/16 at 12:36 pm to sugatowng
After being at opelika for the past few years I can't blame him.
Posted on 4/6/16 at 2:16 pm to Crowknowsbest
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Football coaches would want another year of physical development before the eligibility clock starts ticking in almost all cases, I would think.
He's currently around 6-4 and 220 now. He's 18 yrs old now, and will turn 19 in November. His physicality is more "developed" than a lot of other QBs, but if all this is technically is a red-shirt year in the USC program - participating in practices and film study, learning the playbook and participating in their S&C program - during the same period he would have been spending his senior year in high school, then I can't think this is the worse option in regards to his physical AND mental development to play Div. 1 CFB.
Unless the staff finds out that he's actually the best option on the roster to play QB this season. Then we may have some problems...
This post was edited on 4/6/16 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 4/6/16 at 3:32 pm to GetCocky11
Boom and co. seem to be off to a decent start at USC 
Posted on 4/6/16 at 3:59 pm to Bluefin
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It's just hard to believe they'd be against another year of HS experience and in-game development,
High school experience means little in the college game. Why waste a year playing HS football when you can catch up to the speed of the college game early?
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