South Carolina Football: Jake Bentley can take the Gamecocks far in 2018

Much of the fate of South Carolina football in the SEC in 2018 falls on the shoulders of their starting quarterback Jake Bentley.

South Carolina football definitely exceeded expectations in 2017, in a season filled with improvement across the board. A nine win campaign surprised much of the bigger programs in the SEC East. The Gamecocks finished second in the division behind only the National Champion runner-up Georgia Bulldogs.

The times have not always been good for South Carolina. Things started to go bad for the Gamecocks when legendary head coach Steve Spurrier resigned from his post in Columbia, SC. However, South Carolina responded to Spurrier’s resignation with a somewhat surprising hire in current head man Will Muschamp. Yet, Muschamp was able to help the Gamecocks toward an immediate turnaround that saw them win six games the following year, in 2016.

Expectations for 2017 were mixed, with a rising star at quarterback in sophomore Jake Bentley. There were a ton of question marks on the defensive side of the ball. The combination of Bentley and wide receiver Deebo Samuel gave the Gamecocks enough excitement for the hype to start building pretty quick.

South Carolina started 2017 with a huge win over projected first round NFL Draft pick Bradley Chubb and the NC State Wolfpack. Conference losses to the Texas A&M Aggies and Kentucky Wildcats were the only thing keeping the Gamecocks from staying in the top 15 for most of the 2017 season.

Here’s a look at how South Carolina can build toward 2018, and what kind of effect Bentley can have on the Gamecocks’ success in possibly his final season in Columbia.