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CONFIRMED: Utah QB Jake Bentley Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

After starting in Utah's final four games of the season, former grad transfer Jake Bentley has entered the NCAA transfer portal and is seeking a new destination for his final season of competition

Ryan Kostecka

When Utah first learned that grad transfer Jake Bentley was going to become a Ute for the 2020 college football season, it was always expected that it was going to be a done as a one-year loan situation.

But the then COVID-19 pandemic hit and the NCAA granted everybody a free year of eligibility. So prior to Bentley ever taking a snap for Utah — and before he found out the pecking order — it was widely assumed that the one-year loan could possibly turn into two years of elite football play.

Alas that wasn't the case.

According to reports and later confirmed by Sports Illustrated, Bentley has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and will not be returning to the Utes. 

Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Jake Bentley (8) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The decision comes as no surprise as less than 48 hours after Utah concluded its season, the Utes added former Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer and Texas 4-star quarterback Ja'Quinden Jackson to the roster.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said that Utah might be adding quarterbacks through the transfer portal a day after the team signed the Pac-12's No. 4 ranked recruiting class, which featured one quarterback in 4-star Peter Costelli.

“But I’m going to tell you, there’s a really good likelihood that we will continue to try to address that position," Whittingham said. "That would be worst case scenario. I don’t think we’re going to get to worst case scenario, I think we’re going to be able to have a good situation by spring ball. But yeah, transfers is the other avenue, obviously. That would probably be more likely to go that route.”

Bentley will leave Utah after going 3-1 as a starter, leading the Utes to wins over Oregon State, then No. 21 Colorado and Washington State. In the lone loss to Washington, his first career start with the Utes, Bentley helped Utah jump out to a 21-0 halftime lead before falling 24-21.

He originally didn't earn the starting role to begin the season, instead backup up Cameron Rising. But Rising suffered a season ending shoulder injury on the first play of the second quarter against USC in the season opener, and it was Bentley's job the rest of the way.

On the season, he threw for 882 yards and six touchdowns, completing 62.1% of his passes. He was also a threat in the run game, finishing with 113 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries.

Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately Bentley will be remembered by Utah fans for his overall up-and-down play. His six interceptions and costly fumbles not only killed multiple drives, but they eventually costed Bentley his job as he was replaced by senior Drew Lisk right before halftime in the season finale against Washington State.

Bentley will now have one more year of eligibility left and some team will surely take a chance on a guy who threw for 7,527 yards as a starter for South Carolina in the SEC, totaling 55 touchdowns passes through the air and eight more on the ground.

In the end though, it's not as if he was a bad quarterback for the Utes. Bentley was dealt a rough hand with the COVID-19 pandemic taking away all of his reps and preparations prior to the start season, especially when it came to learning Utah's complicated offense. But he never shied away from the moment and showed tremendous heart and fight throughout the season, and that's what his legacy should be.

Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Jake Bentley (8) passes for a touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

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