Eno Benjamin still high on Iowa, but Michigan and others are lurking
Nick Krueger | Recruiting Analyst
After Eno Benjamin ran away with top running back honors at the Dallas stop of the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour, he reaffirmed his sentiment that Iowa is still the lead dog in the race for his commitment.
“Iowa is still my number one school,” he said. “They’ve shown they’re committed to me. For a month before Signing Day, they were at my school for four straight weeks, so that shows a lot.”
Over his spring break, Benjamin paid visits to Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern; all three schools which he included in his recently-released Top 10. Despite the waves that Jim Harbaugh and Michigan have made on the recruiting front during his short tenure as head coach in Ann Arbor, Benjamin wasn’t swayed from his opinion of the Hawkeyes.
“They were both nice,” he said of his visits to Iowa and Michigan. “It’s hard to compare the two, but I think Iowa had the edge there.”
Beyond enjoying the feel in Iowa City, Benjamin is enthused about what he could bring to a Hawkeyes offense that hasn’t seen a four-star offensive skill player commit since Jay Scheel in 2014. After Iowa’s near-appearance in the college football playoff last season, he’s licking his chops at what his addition could mean towards getting over that hump.
“They are doing all that stuff with two- and three-star running backs from my standpoint,” he said. “The way I think about it is, with those big offensive lines they put together, just imagine what you could do with a four-star running back out there.”
Benjamin isn’t counting out Michigan just yet, he admits that he is considering the opportunity to play a variety of roles in the Wolverines offense. After showing that he has the chops to be a capable pass-catcher last weekend, Benjamin dispelled any notion that he is specifically just a threat while running behind the offensive line.
“I’m a straight-up guy,” he said. “They just told me that they are looking for a guy that can do plenty of things, they usually recruit big backs, so they are kind of looking for some smaller one to line up in the slot and do a couple other things as well.”
Oklahoma State is another school that is big on Benjamin’s versatility. The Cowboys have been one of the programs making a harder press as of late, upping their communication over the past few weeks.
“They are just showing me that they are committed as well, I have been talking to them consistently, we talk daily,” he said. “They’re looking for a cat that guy do it all and when they saw my highlights, they saw what I can do from the wildcat.
“That’s what they’re looking at moving their game to and I think I can be that guy for them.”
Nearby Baylor has also been on the shortlist of teams showing particular interest in Benjamin most recently. Benjamin was on campus on March 17 and said that so long as the Bears continue to make an effort, they are still in the race.
“My recent visit was great, I caught a good vibe while being down there,” he said. “Nothing more than building that relationship will help them get closer.”
California arrived on the scene a little late in the game, but Benjamin isn’t dismissing the Golden Bears either, until he has a chance to check them out. He reported receiving Cal’s offer on March 21.
“First I’d like to know how they plan to use me, that’s what I have to evaluate,” he said. “But I know that they have a good program that puts players and running backs into the NFL.”
Nick Krueger | Recruiting Analyst
After Eno Benjamin ran away with top running back honors at the Dallas stop of the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour, he reaffirmed his sentiment that Iowa is still the lead dog in the race for his commitment.
“Iowa is still my number one school,” he said. “They’ve shown they’re committed to me. For a month before Signing Day, they were at my school for four straight weeks, so that shows a lot.”
Over his spring break, Benjamin paid visits to Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern; all three schools which he included in his recently-released Top 10. Despite the waves that Jim Harbaugh and Michigan have made on the recruiting front during his short tenure as head coach in Ann Arbor, Benjamin wasn’t swayed from his opinion of the Hawkeyes.
“They were both nice,” he said of his visits to Iowa and Michigan. “It’s hard to compare the two, but I think Iowa had the edge there.”
Beyond enjoying the feel in Iowa City, Benjamin is enthused about what he could bring to a Hawkeyes offense that hasn’t seen a four-star offensive skill player commit since Jay Scheel in 2014. After Iowa’s near-appearance in the college football playoff last season, he’s licking his chops at what his addition could mean towards getting over that hump.
“They are doing all that stuff with two- and three-star running backs from my standpoint,” he said. “The way I think about it is, with those big offensive lines they put together, just imagine what you could do with a four-star running back out there.”
Benjamin isn’t counting out Michigan just yet, he admits that he is considering the opportunity to play a variety of roles in the Wolverines offense. After showing that he has the chops to be a capable pass-catcher last weekend, Benjamin dispelled any notion that he is specifically just a threat while running behind the offensive line.
“I’m a straight-up guy,” he said. “They just told me that they are looking for a guy that can do plenty of things, they usually recruit big backs, so they are kind of looking for some smaller one to line up in the slot and do a couple other things as well.”
Oklahoma State is another school that is big on Benjamin’s versatility. The Cowboys have been one of the programs making a harder press as of late, upping their communication over the past few weeks.
“They are just showing me that they are committed as well, I have been talking to them consistently, we talk daily,” he said. “They’re looking for a cat that guy do it all and when they saw my highlights, they saw what I can do from the wildcat.
“That’s what they’re looking at moving their game to and I think I can be that guy for them.”
Nearby Baylor has also been on the shortlist of teams showing particular interest in Benjamin most recently. Benjamin was on campus on March 17 and said that so long as the Bears continue to make an effort, they are still in the race.
“My recent visit was great, I caught a good vibe while being down there,” he said. “Nothing more than building that relationship will help them get closer.”
California arrived on the scene a little late in the game, but Benjamin isn’t dismissing the Golden Bears either, until he has a chance to check them out. He reported receiving Cal’s offer on March 21.
“First I’d like to know how they plan to use me, that’s what I have to evaluate,” he said. “But I know that they have a good program that puts players and running backs into the NFL.”
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