Jake Bentley has to feel pretty good about himself these days. The 18-year-old is supposed to be playing his senior season of High School Football in Opelika, Alabama; but instead has Quarterbacked his once-floundering South Carolina Gamecocks to three straight victories, including a startling upset of ranked but backsliding Tennessee.
Bentley, the son of running backs coach Bobby Bentley, possesses a natural aptitude for signal calling. His strong arm, accuracy, and chemistry with receivers have given Kurt Roper’s offense the life it lacked under the leadership of Perry Orth and fellow true freshman Brandon McIlwain. Accolades are pouring in for Jake; the Southeastern Conference named him its Freshman of the Week for a stellar outing against the Missouri Tigers, in which the former four star recruit completed 22 of his 28 passes for 254 yards and 2 scores in a 31-21 home win.