Jake Bentley says he’s ‘forever grateful’ for Perry Orth

Jake Bentley was the freshman who skipped his senior year of high school and stepped into a starting role. Perry Orth was the senior who twice lost the job Bentley now has.

Teammates have praised what Orth did this year, how he’s handled it, and he played the good soldier while also admitting it isn’t always easy. After Saturday’s win against Western Carolina, in which Orth replaced Bentley for the last few plays, Bentley took to Instagram to thank Orth for what he’s done this season.

Orth has been praised for leading despite not starting and guiding the Gamecocks’ two freshman passers. The senior rose from being a walk-on and sixth stringer to starting most of 2015 and opening 2016 with the job.

He lost it to freshman Brandon McIlwain, briefly reclaimed it against Georgia, and then ceded it to Bentley, who is 4-1 as a starter.

This story was originally published November 19, 2016 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Jake Bentley says he’s ‘forever grateful’ for Perry Orth."