Former South Carolina starting quarterback Jake Bentley announced earlier this month that he will graduate and use his final year of eligibility elsewhere. Now we know that destination. The 6-foot-4, 224-pounder from Opelika, Alabama, announced on Twitter that he will play for coach Kyle Wittingham and the Utah Utes.
Bentley has thrown for 7,527 yards and 55 touchdowns in three seasons with the Gamecocks. His best season came in 2018 when he threw for 3,171 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He started the season atop the depth chart but suffered a season-ending injury in the opener vs. North Carolina. Freshman Ryan Hilinksi stepped in and took over the starting job for the duration of the season. Hilinski is expected to be the starting at South Carolina moving forward.
Excited for this next step, can’t wait to be a part of the Utah family! #GoUtes @Utah_Football pic.twitter.com/sxgpUcgbsq
— Jake Bentley (@JakeBentley19) December 9, 2019
Bentley will be stepping into a great situation with the Utes. Senior Tyler Huntley threw for 2,996 yards and 18 touchdowns en route to a Pac-12 South championship in 2019, and averaged 248.8 yards per game in November when the offense evolved into a force. Huntley will move on after this season, which will open the door for Bentley to take the reigns and build on what became a potent offense down the stretch this season.
Bentley was a four-star prospect in the class of 2016. The son of legendary South Carolina high school coach Bobby Bentley graduated from Opelika (Alabama) High School outside of Auburn, where his dad served as an assistant coach during the 2015 season.
