Longtime NFL scout, Senior Bowl director ‘impressed’ by Jake Bentley at Manning Academy
Longtime NFL scout Jim Nagy was part of organizations that won four Super Bowls and playing in two more across 18 years.
After this weekend, he’s impressed with South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley.
The rising Gamecock senior was at the Manning Passing Academy. He ended up winning the “Air it Out” accuracy competition. He also got the attention of Nagy.
Bentley has struggled with consistency at times in his career. Overthrows and interceptions were a problem in the first half of 2018, but he balanced out in the second half to round out one of the most productive seasons in program history.
He is coming into his fourth season in the program, having started the past 2 1/2 years. He’s thrown for 7,385 yards, 54 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He’s within striking distance of the program record for yards and should easily get the touchdown record assuming good health.
Coming off a season in which he threw for 3,171, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, he’ll have to adapt to life without his top target, Deebo Samuel. He still has Shi Smith and Bryan Edwards to throw to, and USC overall returns three of its top four pass catchers, plus gets OrTre Smith back after a season-ending injury.
Nagy’s tweet brought up Edwards, who like Bentley is probably a shoo-in for the Senior Bowl at year’s end. Edwards has 160 career catches, 2,083 yards and 16 touchdowns. It puts him 47 receptions, 959 yards and seven scores behind the school records in each category.
The Gamecocks open the season Aug. 31 in Charlotte against UNC.