On his third team, former USC QB Jake Bentley holds no ill will toward Gamecocks
Former South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley said he doesn’t hold any negative feelings toward the Gamecocks program.
Speaking with Fox Sports Radio 1400 host Teddy Heffner on Friday morning, Bentley said he talks with former teammates almost every day and actually went fishing with former South Carolina coach Will Muschamp on Thursday.
“I just talked to coach Muschamp yesterday,” Bentley told Heffner. “We actually went fishing at his house. So I mean, just me and him are still really close. He helped me with the decision to go to South Alabama, to talk to him about what he thought about everything. So me and him are still super close. We have no negative relationship or memories with anybody. I just needed something new and I think it worked out.”
Bentley, who broke his foot in the first game of 2019 and transferred to Utah after the season, announced this week that he would transfer again to South Alabama, finishing his college career in the same state where he played high school football.
Bentley was a standout quarterback and four-star prospect at Opelika High School in Alabama, roughly 200 miles from South Alabama in Mobile. After the Jaguars went 4-7 this year, the school fired Steve Campbell and hired Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. At the end of December, the school announced it had hired Alabama analyst Major Applewhite as its offensive coordinator.
Bentley said those two hires were key in his decision to transfer from Utah, saying he believes South Alabama has the chance to make a similar splash as fellow Sun Belt Conference team Coastal Carolina.
“I think it really was a perfect fit for me (after) talking with coach Wommack and coach Applewhite,” Bentley said. “They’re just really fired up about what their plan is for the team, for the program moving forward. And I think talking to some of the guys on the team, we’ve got a chance to be that team that makes a splash in the college football picture next year, kind of like — we’re in the same conference now — but kind of like how Coastal did this year.”
Across 34 games at South Carolina, Bentley threw for 7,527 yards, accumulating 55 passing touchdowns and 32 interceptions. Before he broke his foot in the opener of his senior season, he was expected to contend for several USC passing records.
At Utah this season, Bentley threw for 882 yards, with six touchdowns and six interceptions on a 62.1% completion rate. He also rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Bentley told Heffner that he didn’t regret his decision to transfer to Utah, where he said he grew as a person and as a football player, adding he was grateful for the opportunity to experience a different culture. Now, at South Alabama, he’ll be able to return to a environment that is a bit more familiar.
His father, former South Carolina tight ends coach Bobby Bentley, is in a similar position after new Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer hired Erik Kimrey to replace him on staff. When asked about what’s next for his father, Jake Bentley didn’t tip his hand.
“Right now he’s got a few options,” Bentley said on the radio show. “He’s gotta figure it out — what’s the best fit for him. He wants to get back on the bicycle and keep it rolling.”
No matter what happens at South Alabama and beyond, Bentley said he’ll think back about his time in Columbia fondly.
“My brain just goes back to all the great teammates I had and all the great coaches, just those memories of winning games to just celebrate together in the locker room, and just really all the good things,” Bentley said. “I think the more every year that I’m removed from being there, the more that the good memories start to come back, and you really start to think about all the fun that we had.
“When you’re in it, you gotta be careful not to get wrapped up in negative things, stuff like that. But you look back and think about playing at (Williams-Brice Stadium) and there really is some great memories there and things I’ll cherish forever.”
