MOBILE, Ala. – Jake Bentley, who has been the starting quarterback at a pair of Power 5 programs during his collegiate career, has signed a grant-in-aid with the University of South Alabama and will enroll in school when the spring semester begins.  The announcement was made by new Jaguar head coach Kane Wommack on Friday.

After beginning his career at South Carolina, Bentley spent the 2020 season at Utah.

"Our coaches and staff are thrilled to welcome Jake into our football program," Wommack said.  "Since Jake left Opelika out of high school, he has accomplished so much in his collegiate career to this point.  It is very fitting that he return to the state of Alabama to finish his career with great things ahead.  By all accounts, Jake is a great leader to his teammates with a relentless work ethic.  I look forward to working with him and the rest of our players to create great excitement this season inside Hancock Whitney Stadium."

Bentley started four of the Utes' five games in the fall, completing 62.1 percent (77-of-124) of his passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns.  That included going 20-of-32 for a season-best 240 yards and two scores in a victory at No. 21 Colorado, while he was 18-of-27 passing for 174 yards to help lead Utah past Oregon State for its first win of the year and added a 91-yard touchdown pass — the second-longest in program history — in a season-ending defeat of Washington State.  Bentley threw for 144 yards and added 33 more on the ground, accounting for a pair of touchdowns, at Washington, and finished with 195 yards of total offense and a touchdown pass in the Utes' opener at 19th-ranked Southern California.

He began his collegiate career in 2016 at South Carolina, completing 125-of-190 passes for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns after starting the final seven contests of his freshman season.  As a sophomore, Bentley threw for 2,794 yards and 18 scores — connecting on 245-of-394 attempts — highlighted by a performance against Kentucky that saw him go 24-of-36 passing for 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He ranked fourth in the Southeastern Conference in passing yards per game and touchdown passes, finishing among the top five in the program's season records in touchdowns passes (second), passing yards (third), and touchdowns responsible for (fourth, 29) as well, as a junior after going 240-of-388 for 3,171 yards and 27 touchdowns passing.  That fall, he went 22-of-32 for 363 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for the game-winning score in a victory over Ole Miss and also threw for 510 yards and five touchdowns — setting a school game record in the former category and matching another in the latter — against eventual national champion Clemson.

In the Gamecocks' career record books, Bentley ranks second in completion percentage (62.5%), third in completions (626) and touchdowns passes (55), fourth in passing yards (7,527) and fifth in total offense (7,670).  He was named team captain in both 2017 and '18 after helping lead USC to the Outback and Belk Bowls, respectively, selected the Most Valuable Player of the Outback Bowl and received the 2017-18 SEC Sportsmanship Award as well.

He currently stands ninth among active NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in career passing yards (8,409) and is 13th in career touchdowns passes (61).

Originally from Lexington, S.C., Bentley played his final two seasons at the prep level at Opelika (Ala.) High, where he threw for 2,834 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior before graduating early in order to attend USC.

Spring semester classes at South are set to get underway on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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