Jake Bentley looks to pay it forward with young QBs

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

When South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley was a true freshman simply trying to find his way, several veteran teammates stepped in to show him the ropes.

Now a senior, with multiple young quarterbacks in the position he was once in, Bentley is doing everything he can to pay it forward.

"Especially, the early days of spring, especially now, I'm just trying to pour into them, as much as I can," Bentley said. "Give them all the tips and information that I can to try to help them as much as I can, as Perry (Orth) and guys before me did. Just trying to give back to them, all that I've learned."

Bentley specifically credits Orth, Hayden Hurst and Michael Scarnecchia as older players who helped him learn when he was trying to get comfortable as a new player.

Hurst, who is now with the NFL's Ravens, "showed him the way of working hard," Bentley says. Orth and Scarnecchia, as fellow quarterbacks, helped increase his knowledge of the game.

Now Bentley is the old man of the group with redshirt sophomore Jay Urich, redshirt freshman Dakereon Joyner and true freshmen Ryan Hilinski learning under him.

Not only will one of those three players serve as Bentley's backup this season, but one of those three players will likely take over as the starter in 2020.

Bentley believes that it's his duty as the current quarterback to pay it forward with the young quarterbacks like his older teammates did for him.

"I think you've definitely got to put your pride aside and understand that guys helped me along the way," Bentley said. "It'd be unjust to them and not fair if I didn't try to pour my knowledge into the younger guys. It's really just a team thing. We're all going to be a part of Carolina forever, and I'm just trying to do whatever I can along the way, just like guys helped me."