Bluegrassrivals

2017 prospect Cole Bentley

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Bentley attends Florida Gator camp
The Williamson Daily News
4 days ago | 1507 views | 0 | 63 | |


Cole Bentley will be a freshman this season for Belfry.

slideshow
Alan Popadines

Special to the Daily News

It’s been a busy two weeks for 2017 prospect Cole Bentley, but the 6-foot-5, 250 pounder who, just recently, graduated (Belfry) middle school doesn’t mind; especially when the Florida Gators show him some interest.

Bentley, who lives in Belfry, Ky., was one of many athletes down in “The Swamp” for a football camp last week and the Eastbay Youth All-American caught the eye of several members of the Gators coaching staff.

“Coach Muschamp pulled me out of a drill on the second day down there and brought coach Lawing over. Then they told me that I will be on their 2017 recruitment list,” said Bentley.

A very grateful Bentley went on to explain that the coaches invited him to come down and see a few games this coming season and that they hoped to see him at camp again next year.

Bentley plays tight end on offense and enjoys the position, but the All-State defensive end went to camp knowing that the defensive side of the ball is where his strength is.

“We did cone drills, shadow stations and just all around skill drills to help us get better,” Bentley said.

The athletic Bentley is much more than just a big body, as he also participates in track and field and was also named Second Team All-State in basketball this past year.

In fact, as a 7th grader he participated in a varsity basketball game and became the first 7th grader in school history to score in a varsity game. Having spoken with Bentley, his excitement and desire to get better are unquestionable.

That must have come through at the camp, as he noted, “Coach Lawing told me if I keep developing that one day I could find myself as a Florida gator.” Bentley has already attracted the eye of Illinois and Tennessee as well, but the big man certainly made an impression in Gainesville


hope he can get to let level by the time hes a senior, i done sent this clip to coaches at Arkansas State,they got on Messer to late, so maybe we can land a Pirate in the future...

Thanks for passing the clip along to the other coaches. He is going to Alabama in a couple of weeks and hopefully we get the same response from them. Cole just wants to play at the highest level when he gets a little older. Going to take a lot of work and dedication to football. Hopefully if all goes well he can see some plaing time this year. Tuff to see the field on Friday nights at Belfry as a freshman.

proud44pirate Wrote:Thanks for passing the clip along to the other coaches. He is going to Alabama in a couple of weeks and hopefully we get the same response from them. Cole just wants to play at the highest level when he gets a little older. Going to take a lot of work and dedication to football. Hopefully if all goes well he can see some plaing time this year. Tuff to see the field on Friday nights at Belfry as a freshman.

no problem,if i can help any players i try,i dont know how good it will do,with Tony they(Arkansas State) got on him to late...

Hype. Let the kid enjoy himself.hh:hh:hh:hh:hh:

Coach Lawing told me if I keep developing that one day I could find myself as a Florida gator

As he says to everyone in the class of 2017....please no more Cole Bentley or 2017 threads. To those who don't understand....anyone who continues to develop might be a gator in 4 years...or a UPike Bear...or not playing football....

First, let's not take away from the kids accomplishments. The one thing that the KYMSFA state championship, all state selection, all star selection, or any other award Cole has been blessed with doesn't recognize is character. Cole Bentley is a fantastic kid who plays hard as well as is a kid I know if I needed anything from I could call him and he'd come do it for me. He's just that kind of sincerely nice kid. So let's not take away from him as an athlete, because he is a superb athlete that could find himself at UF or Bama someday. I'm thrilled he's getting this attention now rather than later, it's a great start and good motivation. However, I've stressed to Cole to just work his hardest and have fun and the Florida's and Alabama's will come. Cole knows what level he must play on to get to a school like that. I know that his first concern is Friday Nights and attempting to win one, or four state titles. He could care less about who posts what where, his concern is on the turf.

But we're personally pretty dang proud of the kid around here and hope that come 2016 season he's still on Florida's radar and tearing it up in Red.

Belfry0304 Wrote:First, let's not take away from the kids accomplishments. The one thing that the KYMSFA state championship, all state selection, all star selection, or any other award Cole has been blessed with doesn't recognize is character. Cole Bentley is a fantastic kid who plays hard as well as is a kid I know if I needed anything from I could call him and he'd come do it for me. He's just that kind of sincerely nice kid. So let's not take away from him as an athlete, because he is a superb athlete that could find himself at UF or Bama someday. I'm thrilled he's getting this attention now rather than later, it's a great start and good motivation. However, I've stressed to Cole to just work his hardest and have fun and the Florida's and Alabama's will come. Cole knows what level he must play on to get to a school like that. I know that his first concern is Friday Nights and attempting to win one, or four state titles. He could care less about who posts what where, his concern is on the turf.

But we're personally pretty dang proud of the kid around here and hope that come 2016 season he's still on Florida's radar and tearing it up in Red.

Millions of people are pretty dang proud of millions of great kids around here, they just don't start 2017 threads about them. Please.

jetpilot Wrote:Millions of people are pretty dang proud of millions of great kids around here, they just don't start 2017 threads about them. Please.

Lol I'm surprised there isn't more of them... but I do understand. Anything can happen, hopefully Cole works hard and we can revisit this come that time.

jetpilot Wrote:Coach Lawing told me if I keep developing that one day I could find myself as a Florida gator

As he says to everyone in the class of 2017....please no more Cole Bentley or 2017 threads. To those who don't understand....anyone who continues to develop might be a gator in 4 years...or a UPike Bear...or not playing football....

Dude before you get on here and attempt to crush a young man's spirit and dreams keep this in mind.....Cole Bentley busted his ass to raise money to attend these camps and to have a coach say that to him is a big accomplishment for a teenager trying to get to the next level...and so what if the coach told every kid there that he still said it to him to push him...and so what if he ends up a U Pike Bear he still got there didn't he....And its not Hype the kid is enjoying himself by working hard to follow his dream....

Ya'll lay off jetpilot...he is just a little bit tender thinking of the fact that it is highly likely that thanks to kids like Bentley and the rest of the incoming Freshman class at Belfry that it is almost a sure bet the win streak will extend to 2017.

Bless his little heart. Add him to your prayer lists.

I am happy for the kid, but even though he is our own it does seem premature.

It is still very exciting. Hopefully the publicity becomes a positive influence.

At 6'5-250 and only getting bigger, no wonder he's being recruited.
Lay off him Jetpilot. I know it sucks getting beat by Belfrey all the time.

EKUAlum05 Wrote:Ya'll lay off jetpilot...he is just a little bit tender thinking of the fact that it is highly likely that thanks to kids like Bentley and the rest of the incoming Freshman class at Belfry that it is almost a sure bet the win streak will extend to 2017.

Bless his little heart. Add him to your prayer lists.

You never know. When that class was in 7th grade Pikeville Jr. High shut them out 3 times and won the county championship. A bunch of them have got letters from Urban Meyer and are opening up their recruiting. But we know that Belfry will add about 20 kids from West Virginia between now and 2017 so who knows....You are eaten up with the streak. One thing we all know is a lock, Pikeville will still be ranked in the top 10 in the state in academics in 2017, while Belfry will still be down around 200th. Backward as it gets '05...:devilflam

PaytoPlay Wrote:I am happy for the kid, but even though he is our own it does seem premature.

It is still very exciting. Hopefully the publicity becomes a positive influence.

This is all I am saying. Nothing against the kid at all. Too high expectations = too much pressure on a kid who has yet to play a down of HS football. Sure way to have the kid ending up burned out.

All IMHO.

jetpilot Wrote:You never know. When that class was in 7th grade Pikeville Jr. High shut them out 3 times and won the county championship. A bunch of them have got letters from Urban Meyer and are opening up their recruiting. But we know that Belfry will add about 20 kids from West Virginia between now and 2017 so who knows....You are eaten up with the streak. One thing we all know is a lock, Pikeville will still be ranked in the top 10 in the state in academics in 2017, while Belfry will still be down around 200th. Backward as it gets '05...:devilflam

Careful with those transfer accusations...Pikeville Athletics has been trying to get back to their glory days with the number of kids who have matriculating into the independent school District here lately it seems. Supposedly you just ruined the Paintsville program with your latest "Academic Refugee".. so congrats to that.

Feel free to start an academic thread on Pikeville's domincance on http://www.bluegrassscholastics.com's forums at any time while we continue to discuss football here :biggrin:

(FWIW, I agree it is a bit premature..just wanting to take a shot back after your comments in the other thread )

jetpilot Wrote:You never know. When that class was in 7th grade Pikeville Jr. High shut them out 3 times and won the county championship. A bunch of them have got letters from Urban Meyer and are opening up their recruiting. But we know that Belfry will add about 20 kids from West Virginia between now and 2017 so who knows....You are eaten up with the streak. One thing we all know is a lock, Pikeville will still be ranked in the top 10 in the state in academics in 2017, while Belfry will still be down around 200th. Backward as it gets '05...:devilflam

Ok like Pikeville don't get people from surrounding schools..lol..and yes Pikevile did shut them boys out three times and I tell ya why we was out coached by a Belfry guy....But in 2016 it will be proven again why the Belfry program is so much better than your beloved pikevilles..when those same Boys line up as Junior and Seniors watch The streak Continue and a Blowout happen once again..Face it dude its the facts..and your just wanna of the few arragant pikeville fans that can't accept it.....I'M DENNIS " WHITEY " GIBBS AND I APPROVED THIS MESSAGE...

JetPilots heart and head are in the right place on this one IMO. But in today's world, there are showcases, recruiting blogs, and even offers going out to young men this far out. It would seem silly except it is not.

Guarantee Haywood would prefer Bentley and the rest of the incoming frosh were getting no attention - at least insofar as to have them where he wants them come practice. HUMBLE, blue collar.

jetpilot Wrote:You never know. When that class was in 7th grade Pikeville Jr. High shut them out 3 times and won the county championship. A bunch of them have got letters from Urban Meyer and are opening up their recruiting. But we know that Belfry will add about 20 kids from West Virginia between now and 2017 so who knows....You are eaten up with the streak. One thing we all know is a lock, Pikeville will still be ranked in the top 10 in the state in academics in 2017, while Belfry will still be down around 200th. Backward as it gets '05...:devilflam

Please don't bring middle school ball into this and one year of good play. 6 county titles in 8 years...

man i wasnt trying to get people all upset, was just trying to get people to see what happens to local eastern KY kids who work hard,so many people say that eastern KY kids get no respect...

Belfry0304 Wrote:Please don't bring middle school ball into this and one year of good play. 6 county titles in 8 years...

This thread is about a middle school player...

Love it when people try to down him. Only makes him work harder. Proud of of you bub. Keep your head up and keep working. The sky is the limit. Thanks to everyone who has took up for him. Lets see how he does in high school after a couple of years and see what happens.

jetpilot Wrote:This thread is about a middle school player...

Wrong, Cole Bentley is a freshman now. You missed my point though.

proud44pirate Wrote:Love it when people try to down him. Only makes him work harder. Proud of of you bub. Keep your head up and keep working. The sky is the limit. Thanks to everyone who has took up for him. Lets see how he does in high school after a couple of years and see what happens.

Glad you agree with me. Best of luck to the kid.

Belfry0304 Wrote:Wrong, Cole Bentley is a freshman now. You missed my point though.

He will be a freshman when school starts... all we have to go on is middle school. You missed my point though. Best of luck to the kid.

proud44pirate Wrote:Love it when people try to down him. Only makes him work harder. Proud of of you bub. Keep your head up and keep working. The sky is the limit. Thanks to everyone who has took up for him. Lets see how he does in high school after a couple of years and see what happens.

Haven't seen any post where anyone tried to down him.

This thread is about a kid that is going into his freshman year. The last time i checked a freshman is considered as a high school kid. So no longer a middle school kid.

I believe this young kid cole bentley will be one we will be talking about for a longtime.after highschool an beyond irateShoirateSho

Greg hackney, Bobby Deramus, Robbie Simpson, J.R bailey, Keith Washington, Todd Case, Chris Slater, Chad Thornsbury, The Honaker Brothers. That's just mentioning a few that's been recruited by Pikeville, and that's been years ago. Most of them from WV. I'm sure there has been many more. It's obvious there recruiting is way down.

I couldn't be more happy for Cole, I have relayed the article to everyone that would listen. I look forward to watching his progress over the next four years and hopefully he and his peers can bring home some state titles to pond creek! I have known his family for years there good people that work hard and pass along good values. Not to mention the kid comes from a very athletic family. Coles grandfather used to be a golden gloves boxer and his dad was a outstanding athlete, so the family knows what it takes and the work thats needed to excel to the next level. Good Luck Cole. Keep working hard!

lunaticfringe Wrote:Greg hackney, Bobby Deramus, Robbie Simpson, J.R bailey, Keith Washington, Todd Case, Chris Slater, Chad Thornsbury, The Honaker Brothers. That's just mentioning a few that's been recruited by Pikeville, and that's been years ago. Most of them from WV. I'm sure there has been many more. It's obvious there recruiting is way down.

Hate to correct you Lunaticfringe,but I know for a fact that Greg Hackney was NEVER recruited by Pikeville. When my daughter was in the first grade at Pikeville Elementary, he was in the third grade.Hardly call that recruiting.