COUNTING ON THE CAPTAIN
GAMECOCKS LOOKING TO BENTLEY AS LEADER AGAIN
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina quarterbacks coach Dan Werner keeps searching for flaws, shortcomings or things to fix with Gamecocks starter Jake Bentley.
He hasn’t found anything to complain about concerning the 6-foot-4, 224-pound junior. Not yet, anyway.
“There are no negatives,” said Werner, a veteran assistant who is in his first year at South Carolina. “He comes to work every day wanting to be a leader, wanting to work hard, just begging for information. He’s always the first one there, the last one to leave.
“Now he’s just got to carry that over to the field.”
Bentley has done that reasonably well since taking the starting job two years ago in the middle of coach Will Muschamp’s first season as South Carolina struggled. Bentley was expected to redshirt, but he instead helped the Gamecocks qualify for a bowl game after a 2-4 start. He started every game last season as they went 9-4, their best finish since going 11-2 in 2013.
Bentley, though, has struggled at times with his accuracy and production. His 12 interceptions last season were second-most in the Southeastern Conference, and Bentley was not among the top 10 SEC quarterbacks in pass efficiency.
So Bentley, along with Werner and graduate assistant Taylor Lamb — the former Calhoun (Georgia) High School standout who was Appalachian State’s starting quarterback from 2014 to 2018 — got to work.
“There have been a few bumps in the road,” Bentley said. “But I think it’s going to be real good.”
Werner has concentrated on Bentley’s footwork and balance as the Gamecocks try to speed up an offense that ranked 12th overall in the 14-team SEC a year ago. Those skills are at even more of a premium, Werner said, because Bentley must make decisions more quickly in the run-pass option attack — one that naturally puts players off balance because of its intricacies.
“He’s gotten so much better,” Werner said.
The return of big-play receiver Deebo Samuel should help. Samuel had six touchdowns in three games (three receiving, one rushing, two on kick returns) in 2017 before breaking a bone in his leg and missing the final 10 games. Bentley said he and Samuel have worked this summer to cement the on-field relationship that tantalized fans before the injury.
“We think we have something special here, mindset-wise,” Bentley said.
Bentley has spent the offseason watching video of some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Werner put together video of Bentley passing alongside clips of the pros making similar throws.
“It’s really helped me trying to take bits and pieces from every quarterback’s game and try to implement in mine,” Bentley said. “I’m trying to mimic how they do things, their mechanics, their fundamentals, just really trying to get better in that way.”
Bentley also understands the opportunities that lie ahead with a stellar year. Several online outlets have Bentley as a highround draft pick, potentially as high as the first round. The quarterback has heard the talk — and mostly brushed it aside.
“It’s out there,” he said. “For me, though, I’m going to think about right now, our training camp and focusing as a team on how to win ballgames. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Muschamp said Bentley’s teammates said it best about their starting quarterback’s single-mindedness when they voted him captain last fall.
“To be only one of three young men in South Carolina’s history to be named team captain by his teammates his sophomore year to me says an awful lot about the respect and the leadership and ability he has,” Muschamp said.
Bentley believes the time he has put in to improve his game will show when the season starts.
“We know the expectations we have for ourselves,” Bentley said. “That’s all that really matters to us.”