Jake Bentley presidential? This analyst thinks so

Asked about what makes the South Carolina football team’s offense tick, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic had to make a distinction.

Before or after Jake Bentley took the wheel?

The Gamecocks’ second-year passer made quite an impression on the former Auburn center and one of the resident scheme experts at his network.

“Jake Bentley is presidential,” Cubelic said. “He understands the position. He gets it. When I hear guys like Andre Ware tell me and rave about the way he gets the ball out, the way he sees the field, I trust that opinion. So my eyes didn’t lie to me when I heard Andre tell me those things.”

That’s high praise from a national voice backed by a Heisman winner who played the position.

Cubelic noted the similarities between Kurt Roper’s Gamecocks offense and the scheme Bentley ran at Opelika High School. It helped the passer, who enrolled in college a year early, to come in at midseason and throw for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns with a robust completion percentage of 65.8.

He comes into 2017 with a full offseason under his belt and a strong cast of skill players. Bentley has to empower them.

“What makes Jake Bentley effective in that offense is quick decision making,” Cubelic said.

The son of former high school passing game architect Bobby Bentley understands what Roper wants and how he wants it done, Cubelic said.

Cubelic also said he believes USC’s attack will take a step forward in complexity, perhaps with more run-pass option plays. He warned the Gamecocks attack likely will hinge on how far tackles Malik Young and Zack Bailey have come.

But things should go well with the ball snapped to Bentley each play.

“I think that offense can be as successful as the trigger man,” Cubelic said. “And Jake proved last year that he sort of has those intangibles and can do the things that Kurt wants to do, whether that’s go fast, whether that’s get the ball out quick, whether that’s check down.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Jake Bentley presidential? This analyst thinks so."