What are the Ducks getting in Trey Benson?

Recruiting / Friday, June 14th, 2019

The June recruiting momentum keeps rolling right along for Mario Cristobal and the Ducks, as the second-year head coach picked up his third pledge to the 2020 class in the last seven days with the verbal commitment of Greenville (Miss.) St. Joseph three-star running back Trey Benson. He joins three-star prospects Faaope Laloulu and Jared “JJ” Greenfield as latest additions to Oregon’s 2020 recruiting haul this month.

Overall, Benson is the 11th prospect to commit to Oregon’s 2020 recruiting class, which now ranks 13th nationally per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings. He’s also the first running back to commit to the Ducks’ 2020 class, choosing Oregon over offers from the likes of Florida State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Penn State, and a host of others.

Below we take a closer look at Benson’s game, examining his weaknesses and strengths, as well as projecting how he may make an impact for the Ducks when he ultimately arrives on campus.

Notable weaknesses:

  • Lacks elite explosiveness: Benson boasts speed, but he doesn’t necessarily boast elite-level explosiveness. His initial burst after receiving a handoff is adequate, as his true speed isn’t often revealed until he reaches the second level of a defense.
  • Work in progress as a receiver: On film, Benson demonstrates that he can be a weapon out of the backfield, but he’s not a natural pass catcher. This area of his game can develop with time, but it’ll likely be an element of his game that is not often showcased within Oregon’s offense as presently constructed.

Notable strengths:

  • Runs with speed and power: When Benson gets downhill, he’s an awfully difficult back to take down. At an even 6-feet and 209 pounds, Benson certainly fits the description of a physical back, but he’s also got plenty of speed to be a home run threat once he finds his crease. Has the potential to be a work horse back at the next level.
  • Good feet, strong base: A good running back often possesses nimble feet and a solid center of gravity, and Benson has just that. He’s skilled at eluding defenders and stepping out of would-be tackles, and is good at maintaining balance after absorbing hits from defenders.
  • Possesses a nasty stiff arm: It may not quite be on the level of former Oregon running back Jeremiah Johnson, but Benson’s stiff arm is one of the best we’ve seen on film this cycle. It serves as a legit weapon when the ball is in his hands and can be devastating when effectively deployed.

Overall outlook:

Trey Benson may not come with the hype and hullabaloo of some of the nation’s more highly-rated running backs, but he’s got all the raw tools to be considered among the nation’s best ball carriers when his collegiate career comes to an end. The question, however, is where will the touches come from, particularly early on? The Ducks currently have four sophomores (CJ Verdell, Travis Dye, Cyrus Habibi-Likio, and Darrian Felix) and two freshmen (Sean Dollars and Jayvaun Wilson) on the roster, and if we assume that Oregon has all six running backs heading into the 2020 season (which seems unlikely) when Benson arrives on campus, it will be a tall task for the Mississippi native to find traction early in his career. Even if the Ducks lose a player or two at the position due to transfer or some other unforeseen circumstance, Benson will likely be no better than fifth on the depth chart upon his arrival in Eugene. Still, Benson is a promising young talent who earned over 20 offers during the recruiting process, and is a player who Oregon running backs coach Jim Mastro honed in on early in the recruiting process despite offers to more highly touted running back recruits. He will be one of the more intriguing prospects to monitor as his career as a Duck unfolds.

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