Bentley: 'We want to build a championship team'
South Carolina landed a huge piece of its 2017 recruiting puzzle Thursday morning when four-star quarterback Jake Bentley announced a pledge to the Gamecocks.
"Coming back home was a big deal for me," Bentley said. "And just the new culture that Coach Muschamp has established here and I just want to be a part of this team!"
The 6-foot-3, 211-pounder is the son of South Carolina running backs coach Bobby Bentley.
The younger Bentley spent last season at Opelika High in Opelika, Ala., but it's not yet known where Bentley will plays his senior season - though it's assumed it will be somewhere in the Columbia area.
Bentley began his prep career at the legendary Byrnes program where his father went 119-54 in two stints (1995-2006 and 2013) as head coach and won four-consecutive state championships from 2002-05
Jake Bentley, who just completed a two-day visit to South Carolina, committed to the Gamecocks over tenders from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, North Carolina State and Stanford among others.
Bentley believes he's a strong fit in co-offensive coordinator Kurt Roper's scheme.
"I ran almost every one of the plays before in our offense in Opelika or at Byrnes with my dad," Bentley said. "I'm very familiar with a lot of the concepts. I think I will fit in great as he puts a lot on his quarterbacks to be quick decision makers and make big time throws."
Despite his obvious ties to the program, Bentley was not recruited by his father as head coach Will Muschamp handled his recruitment.
"From the start he said he was going to be the one to recruit me and that shows me how much he wanted me here and that was great," Bentley said. "Me and him have a very good relationship as I do also with (offensive coordinator Kurt) Roper."
Bentley is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 13 pro-style quarterback in the country and the No. 245 overall prospect in the country.
Bentley now plans to turn his attention to recruiting others to Carolina.
"Yes I'm going to try hard to recruit guys to come," Bentley said. "Me and Will Register have already been talking about what recruits we can talk to. We want to build a championship team here and that all starts with recruiting. I think we can have the best recruiting class in the nation. The culture around SC is great and any recruit that comes on campus will feel that."
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