Florida State’s Trey Benson is one of several running backs in contention to be the top RB selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Before we get there, let’s go back through his football history and see how Benson became a top-five RB prospect in this year’s class.
Where Did Trey Benson’s Football Career Start?
Benson attended O’Bannon High School in Greenville, Miss. After two years, he transferred to the nearby St. Joseph Catholic High School.
While there, Benson was instrumental in his school winning consecutive 3A MAIS state championships. In his senior year, St. Joseph’s went undefeated on the heels of Benson’s 1,783 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
MORE: Top RBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Coming out of high school, Benson was a four-star recruit and garnered an impressive 22 offers from Division I programs. After careful thought, he committed to and enrolled at Oregon.
Revisiting Benson’s College Career
Oregon
It was a rough start to Benson’s college career. A torn ACL cost him the entire 2020 season.
Already behind the proverbial 8-ball, Benson spent his sophomore campaign behind Travis Dye and CJ Verdell. Benson wound up playing in 10 games but carried the ball just six times for 22 yards and a touchdown.
After two seasons at Oregon, Benson didn’t do anything to suggest he would ever be able to play in the NFL. His inability to beat out two future UDFAs didn’t exactly paint him in the most positive light. With things clearly not working out at Oregon, Benson left in 2022, transferring to Florida State.
Florida State
At Florida State, it was a whole different story for Benson. He finally was given his time to shine.
During his junior year, Benson split time with Treshaun Ward and Lawrance Toafili, but did lead the backfield in carries. Benson ran the ball 154 times for 990 yards and nine touchdowns. He also displayed solid proficiency as a receiver, catching 13 passes for 144 yards.
Trey Benson — a special dudepic.twitter.com/nBgdpkLja3
— College Football Network (@CFN365) April 28, 2023
Eligible to enter the 2023 NFL Draft, Benson opted to return to FSU for his senior season. As a senior, his rushing volume didn’t increase much, but he was the clear RB1. He rushed for 906 yards and 14 touchdowns on 156 attempts, while also reeling in 20 passes for 227 yards and a score.
Although Benson didn’t show any signs of breaking out until his third year at college, his two seasons at Florida State established him as an NFL-caliber talent. As a result, he declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Benson’s Potential in the NFL
There won’t be any running backs selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but there should be a couple that go in Round 2.
If it were up to PFN draft analyst Ian Cummings, the first one taken would be Benson.
“Benson is my RB1 in the 2024 NFL Draft, worthy of early-to-mid Day 2 draft capital. His size-speed profile and his baseline vision and footwork allow for schematic flexibility across gap and zone looks, and his visible potential as a receiver serves as a bonus.
“As a projected volume back, Benson brings plenty to like. He has a strong, compact build at around 6’0″, 200 pounds, with a powerful lower body. He’s an explosive vertical runner with constant leg churn who uses forward-pressing physicality, tenacity, and elite contact balance to routinely withstand tackles and glean maximum potential from runs.
“With that said, there is no Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs in this year’s class. Benson has plenty of things to work on if he is to become a more complete back.
“The questions for Benson lie in his two-phase utility and his ultimate ceiling as a runner. While his vision and creative instincts are both good, he doesn’t know how to consistently deal with backfield penetrators — he can be more efficient using his space behind the line.
“While reasonably agile and fluid, Benson’s hips are a bit stiff, limiting his range and flexibility on lateral cuts. And as a receiver, while he’s flashed upside, he needs more volume to prove himself. 2023 was a step in the right direction, but there’s still work to do.”
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Trey Benson
Cummings goes on to give his vision of Benson’s ceiling.
“Nevertheless, Benson has the size, explosiveness, foot speed, contact balance, baseline vision and feel, and relentless physicality to be an exceptional workhorse back at the NFL level. At his peak, he can be an impact starter with value across run schemes.”
Benson’s Highlights, Records, and More
Benson may have spent a mere two years at Florida State, but he made his presence felt, earning second-team All-ACC honors both years. College Football Network gave Benson an honorable mention for its 2023 All-American Offense.
During his two seasons as a Seminole, Benson posted five 100-yard rushing games. All of them came in his junior year.
Ironically, Benson’s only game over 100 yards as a senior was his lone 200-yard game. He did not rush for 100+ yards in any other 2023 contest. Benson also had three games with three rushing scores in his two years at FSU.
While no running back in this class is a sure thing, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if Benson turned out to be the best of them.
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