South Carolina QB Jake Bentley officially out for the season

South Carolina senior quarterback Jake Bentley will have surgery to repair a sprain in his foot, Gamecock Central has learned, and is officially out for the season, Will Muschamp announced on his Sunday teleconference.

Bentley suffered the injury during the final play of the Gamecocks' loss to North Carolina and has what is commonly referred to as a Lisfranc injury.

South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp said Tuesday that the staff would seek a second opinion in order to verify that Bentley would need surgery. If the injury didn't require surgery, Bentley could have potentially been back in action in 6-8 weeks, but with the decision to have surgery, he's out for the year.

"Hurt for Jake, senior year, given a lot to this program," Muschamp said Tuesday. "Outstanding young man. Exactly how you want someone to represent the University of South Carolina. Just hurt for him during this time."

According to Heathline.com: "Your midfoot contains the Lisfranc joint and the Lisfranc ligament, both of which can be injured in a Lisfranc injury. These fractures are among the most common foot injuries. They range from mild to severe, depending on how the injury occurred."

Most surgeries will require 6-12 weeks of wearing casts and special walking boots with physical therapy and rehab to follow, according to MedicalNewsToday. Full recovery time can vary greatly.

With one game played in his senior season, Bentley technically still has a year of college eligibility left and can redshirt this year with plenty of options for a fifth year, whether he wants to return to South Carolina, look at other schools, or take his shot at the NFL. Muschamp said Tuesday that his future options hadn't been discussed yet, with news of the injury just now sinking in and Bentley's health as the current focus.

"No, that's not even on the table," Muschamp said Sunday. "Right now it's a very difficult time. When I know something more, I'll let you guys know."

Bentley has played in 33 career games at South Carolina, completing 626 of 1,002 passes for 7,527 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions. He was in position to break several school records for a career with a big final season.

A former four-star quarterback in the 2016 class, Bentley joined the South Carolina football program from Opelika High School in Alabama. He took over starting quarterback duties in the seventh game of his freshman season, only missing one start over the next three seasons.