Biography
College Highlights: Currently stands ninth among active NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in career passing yards (8,409) and is 13th in career touchdowns passes (61).
Utah Highlights (2020): Started four of Utah’s five games in the fall, completing 62.1 percent (77-of-124) of his passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns ... Was 20-of-32 for a season-best 240 yards and two scores in a victory at No. 21 Colorado, while also going 18-of-27 passing for 174 yards to help lead the Utes past Oregon State for its first win of the year ... Added a 91-yard touchdown pass — the second-longest in program history — in a season-ending defeat of Washington State ... 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.
South Carolina Highlights (2016-19): 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 ... 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, 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) ... 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.
High School Highlights: 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 ... Was a first-team all-state selection in 2015 as the Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals of the state 6A playoffs.
Personal: Full name is Jacob Lane Bentley ... Born Nov. 23, 1997, in Spartanburg, S.C. ... Son of Bobby and Paulette Bentley ... Father, Bobby, was a quarterback at Presbyterian and is currently the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator at South Florida ... Older brothers Chas (Rutgers, 2010-14) and Shuler (Old Dominion, 2014-16, and Murray State, 2017-18) also played quarterback at the collegiate level ... Favorite movie is “Remember The Titans” ... Favorite book is “Obstacle Is The Way” ... Favorite athletes are Tom Brady and LeBron James ... Favorite musical artist is Riley Green ... Favorite food is carbonara ... Likes to fish and play golf in his free time ... Wants to write a book in the future ... Is working toward a master’s degree in sport management.
