SEC Media Days: Five Questions with … South Carolina QB Jake Bentley

South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley is representing his team for the third-straight year at SEC Media Days. He discussed USC’s expectations, staying off social media and more. 

How far do you feel you’ve come since you were here as a sophomore?

“I think I’ve come a long way, a long way. I think we as a team have come a long way. Guys like me that were forced to play as freshmen, have really matured a lot and understood what it takes to win.”

You won the Manning Passing Academy challenge this summer against several top quarterbacks, what was that experience like?

“Manning camp was awesome, just to be there and pick the brain of Peyton and Eli and Archie, three of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play. And also seeing the other college guys there, and get to know them and talk about the experiences we’ve had. Knowing they’re very similar, it was just very cool.”

You play Clemson and Georgia every season, now you will also play Alabama this year, how do you feel about having a schedule with all of those teams on it?

“Yeah, I mean, that’s why you come to the SEC and that’s why you come play in this conference and come to South Carolina. To play the best, play the best teams, and we’re excited about it. But right now, we’re really focused on (the season opener against) North Carolina.”

You likely will break multiple program records at South Carolina this season — do you think about those accolades and what kind of honor would that be?

“Growing up you see the names on the walkways around the stadium, and it’s always something you dream about as a kid growing up in South Carolina that you would want to do one day. I think I’ll look back on it, if I do break them, as a bigger accomplishment than it will be in the moment, because like I said the most important thing to me is winning football games. But it’s definitely there and it’s definitely a cool deal to try and go get.”

What’s the key to blocking out outside noise?

“You hold down ‘Twitter’ on your phone and the little ‘X’ comes up. No, seriously, getting off that, and even when you delete Twitter you got people on campus saying it, so it’s not like you can get fully away from it, and it’s just staying humble I think. It’s always good to have somebody who will humble you and put you back in your place.”