Why Bobby Bentley is proud of one of his backs

He’s far from the most known name on South Carolina’s football roster.

But running backs coach Bobby Bentley has seen the change in him all the same.

Mon Denson hasn’t played in a college game heading into his third season. He was a top-50 running back out of high school. He’s got at least three more seasoned or talked-about backs ahead of him.

But that doesn’t mean he’s settled.

“He’s just changed his attitude,” Bentley said, “become a more mature person and what I call a champion every day. He wants to be better every day. That’s what I’m proud of.”

He’ll have an uphill battle for carries. A.J. Turner and Rico Dowdle are already established, and every indication is Ty’Son Williams will have a major role going forward.

That’s three runners with sophomore eligibility, plus former Wisconsin tailback Caleb Kinlaw trying for carries of his own.

What kind of a role Denson can carve out remains to be seen. But he’s taken the first step, and for that, his coach is pleased.

“I think when you look at Mon, you see a guy who has changed his body, changed his work ethic,” Bentley said. “Instead of coming to work one or two days a week, he’s coming to work every day.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 8:43 AM.