South Carolina just added a 4-star 2017 QB recruit to its 2016 roster

When I spoke with four-star QB Jake Bentley in March, he was non-committal about where he would play his senior season of high school football: his current school of Opelika (Ala.) or somewhere in South Carolina, since his dad Bobby left Auburn’s staff for Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks.

It turns out, Bentley will not play his senior season at all, but rather will re-classify and become a member of the 2016 class, joining South Carolina this summer.

That Bentley is going to follow his dad is no surprise -- all the reporters who spoke with him at the recent Nike Atlanta Opening Regional Camp scoffed at the notion he’d head anywhere else, but the reclassification move is a bit surprising.

Bentley joins a deep group of quarterback talent, including Connor Mitch, Perry Orth, Brandon McIlwain and Lorenzo Nunez.

“It’ll be great getting to know them more. They’re great guys. They all welcomed me in after I committed. It’ll be cool to be part of the group,” Bentley said to The State. “They’re very supportive of one another. I’ll go in there and try to make them better, and they’ll make me better so it’ll be good for all of us to compete for the benefit of the whole team.”

I do not think Bentley is ready to start as a freshman, but he is physically ready for college football at 6’3.5 and 212 pounds, with plenty of athleticism. Plus, getting in a year early could be great insurance if Brandon McIlwain elects to skip to pro baseball in 2018, something many believe he should have done right out of high school as he was a better baseball than football prospect.

Quarterback play doomed Will Muschamp’s Florida tenure, and having more options this time around could help things go better.

Georgia followed Tennessee’s lead and offered 18 players from the IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.).

Some back and forth between Kentucky’s top 2016 signee and Urban Meyer has Wildcats and Buckeyes fans up in arms. Both sides come out OK here. Kentucky gets to trumpet that it beat Ohio State for a player the Buckeyes wanted, and Urban Meyer gets to blame an unnamed assistant for not offering sooner while protecting his own reputation. Ultimately, Ohio State gets the vast majority of players it wants from Ohio, while Kentucky has done a good job picking at OSU’s leftovers in Ohio.

Arizona landed two commitments Tuesday. The Wildcats are not about to become elite recruiters, but Arizona does seem to be doing better, particularly in California.

This is an incredibly in-depth review of Missouri’s recruiting. Barry Odom is putting renewed emphasis on Texas, which is a bit of a shift from the Tigers’ previous strategy of reaching into more traditional SEC territory.

Will Muschamp’s South Carolina is shooting for the stars with its recruiting. I may write about this more at some point, but this is a high-variance strategy. If the Gamecocks have a good year, they may pull more studs than expected. But if they disappoint, South Carolina may have to scramble to establish better relationships with lesser prospects who will actually consider signing with them.

Texas recruits and recruiting experts say that they are in a holding pattern, waiting to see what is going to happen with Charlie Strong and Kevin Sumlin.

If you’re a recent signup or missed a day, that’s OK. I link my previous Crootletters in this section.

Georgia, Florida State and Clemson recruits shined at The Opening Atlanta Regional.

Is Urban Meyer going to copy Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan spring break practice concept next year?

Who are the top players in Dallas? Where are they leaning? Find out in this recap of the Nike Opening Regional Camp.

Here are top players at the Miami Nike Opening Regional Camp.

What happens during a “junior day?”

Steven Godfrey and I discussed the mechanics and timing of negative recruiting.

How roster balance in recruiting can help with player development at other positions.

Which states kept top talent home the most? Plus, observations about in-state recruiting across the Southeast.