‘Really fast and really explosive’: Jake Bentley reviews USC’s new receivers

As South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley went through the offseason, he had a chance to work with some new targets.

And he’s giving them good reviews.

Receivers Chad Terrell and Shi Smith joined the roster after the spring, along with Chapin tight end Will Register. All four worked together at the team’s player-run practices, and a couple could be early impact guys.

“I definitely think that Shi and Chad are going to be able to help us this year,” Bentley said during his time Thursday at SEC Media Days. “Chad’s a good looking dude. He runs well. Shi’s really fast and really explosive.”

Terrell is a big-bodied 6-foot-3 receiver out of Georgia. The three-star prospect, who posted 1,236 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, would be competing with the likes of Bryan Edwards, Chavis Dawkins, OrTre Smith and likely Deebo Samuel on the outside.

Smith is a slightly different type, a smaller 5-foot-10 pass catcher who is a burner but also tough. He caught 54 passes for 1,337 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior and could give the team a threat in the slot as well as help in several spots on special teams.

Register could give the Gamecocks something in time, but there are a few things limiting him early.

“Will is going to be good too,” Bentley said. “He’s got a pretty dang good tight end in front of him.”

That’s Hayden Hurst, who set USC tight end yardage and receptions records in 2016. The Gamecocks are also loaded at the position with potentially six options capable of contributing.

Although Bentley respects Smith’s speed, he’s not willing to call him the fastest Gamecock. He saved that designation for someone else.

“I’m the fastest guy on the team,” Bentley joked.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 10:31 AM.