HOOVER, Ala. (AP) South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley vividly remembers the hit that welcomed him to the Southeastern Conference.
He was throwing a screen pass last season when Tennessee’s 6-foot-3, 260-pound Derek Barnett burst through the line and slammed him to the ground.
”That didn’t feel too good,” Bentley said with a grin Thursday at Southeastern Conference media days.
But Bentley proved to be a quick learner as a freshman, winning four of his seven starts. Now he’s part of a group of young SEC quarterbacks that could represent the league’s next generation of stars.
Though the SEC always has multiple first-round NFL draft picks, there’s been a drought at the quarterback position.