Bentley wide open with three weeks left

Just over three weeks remain before National Signing Day, and decisions are being made by the last remaining holdouts in the 2012 class. Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville cornerback V'Angelo Bentley is not sweating the short span of days left in his recruitment, however.

"I'm wide open in the recruiting process," Bentley said. "I'm looking for more things to come in, but since they haven't I'm just looking at what I have."

Bentley has taken one official visit thus far, and that was to Pittsburgh the weekend of Dec. 9, which also happened to be the last weekend Todd Graham was head coach of the Panthers.

"I did take a visit to Pittsburgh and thought the visit was cool, but they got a new coaching staff so I am waiting to see what's going on with them," Bentley said.

In the weeks since Graham's departure, during which Paul Chryst was named head coach, Bentley has been keeping up with several of Pitt's commitments in the 2012 class.

"I know a lot of those guys and they are saying they are excited about the new coach and believe in him. They don't think [Pitt] is taking any steps back and are ready to work," Bentley said. "The players are still there and the players make the team. The coach has a big part in it, but ultimately the players make the coach look good."

The 5-10, 178-pound Bentley also holds offers from several Mid-American Conference programs as well as Illinois and Air Force. He has just one other official visit scheduled, but is considering other trips.

"I am supposed to go to Illinois on the 20th, but that's it," Bentley said. "I was supposed to go to Toledo this coming weekend, but their coach left and the guy that was recruiting me left so I don't know where I stand with those guys. Miami (Ohio), I have to set that date.

Last week, Bentley took part in the inaugural Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Arizona. Rivals.com analyst Adam Gorney tabbed Bentley as one of the top performers on his squad in practice that week and Bentley said he was not fazed by the bright lights of a national all-star game.

"I looked at it as not even being a big stage because at Glenville it is a big stage almost every weekend," Bentley noted. "I've played on television before, so the whole TV thing and big game thing didn't bother me. I looked at it as I have something to prove, and when I got there I took what I learned and applied it."

This past fall, Bentley tallied three interceptions for a Cleveland Glenville team that finished 7-3 and narrowly missed the OHSAA playoffs.