Trey Benson, RB Florida State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Benson was a three-star recruit from St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville, Miss. in the class of 2020
The 2024 NFL Draft features several running backs in the first round conversation. Florida State’s Trey Benson could join that group by the end of the upcoming season. He’s a game-changer who excels across the board.
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Trey Benson, RB Florida State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior running back from Greenville, Miss.
Background: Benson was a three-star recruit from St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville, Miss. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 375 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 368 for On3.com. Benson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 79 grade out of 100. He transferred from Oregon to Florida State for the 2022 season. Benson lettered twice in high school and was a two-time team captain. He earned MAIS 3A District 4 First Team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior. Benson rushed for 3,616 yards and 48 touchdowns on his way to back-to-back MAIS 3A State Championships in 2018 and 2019. He averaged 144.6 yards per game and produced 54 total touchdowns. Benson finished his high school career with 18 100-yard performances. As a senior, he amassed 1,783 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 110 carries as St. Joseph Catholic School went 13-0. As a junior, Benson rushed for 1,833 yards and 22 touchdowns while his team went 11-1. He also played basketball in high school.
Injuries & Off-Field: Tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), lateral meniscus, medial meniscus, and another tendon which cost him his 2020 season
Awards: 2022 Second Team All-ACC
Pros: Special teams experience on the kick and punt return units, forced 79 missed tackles on 154 carries in 2022, hasn’t fumbled in college, arm length appears above average, lethal stiff arm, good size and muscular build, shreds arm tackles, contact balance and motor, dips shoulder to absorb contact and keep running, keeps legs churning in a pile, burst to reach the defense’s third level, enough juice to outrace defenders to the edge and turn the corner, breakaway speed to finish big plays, footwork and agility in small spaces is impressive at his size, quick to halt momentum and change directions, makes defenders miss in the hole, picks his way through traffic on inside runs, jump cuts and hesitation moves, good vision to locate open rush lanes, gets north-south in a hurry, uses his blockers well in space
Cons: 2020 knee injury will require further medical inspection, one season of production entering 2023, not twitchy, not an elite burner, not a true angle eraser, excellent contact balance but not a true bruiser, sometimes lacks patience as a runner, minimal experience as a pass catcher, comfort level catching the ball is inconsistent, extremely inexperienced in pass pro, unknown what value he offers in third-and-mid or third-and-long situations
Overview: A significant knee injury that included a torn ACL, MCL, lateral meniscus, medial meniscus, and additional damage sidetracked the start of Benson’s college career. Fortunately, he caught fire in 2022, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. The redshirt junior returned several kickoffs for the Seminoles and has some experience on the punt return unit dating back to his time at Oregon. In 2022, Benson ranked among the top ten backs in the country in forced missed tackles on rush attempts. He has excellent ball security and hasn’t fumbled in college. Benson uses his long arms to throw lethal stiff arms. He has good size for a running back and a muscular build that helps him shred arm tackles. Benson displays excellent contact balance and motor. Aside from breaking arm tackles, he dips his shoulder into contact to absorb blows and keep running. Benson isn’t a true bruiser in the run game, but he usually finishes falling forward and keeps his legs churning in piles. The former Oregon Duck’s burst carries him to the defense’s third level with ease. He plays with enough juice to outrace defenders to the edge and turn the corner. Benson isn’t a track star or true angle eraser, but his speed is good enough to break away and finish big plays. The former three-star recruit’s footwork and agility in small spaces are impressive at his size. He’s not truly twitchy but frequently makes defenders miss in the hole or in open space. Benson quickly halts his momentum and changes directions. He deploys jump cuts and hesitation moves to make defenders miss. His vision reveals rushing lanes in the mass of bodies on inside runs. Benson gets north to south in a hurry, which is a double-edged sword. His urgency generates some big plays, but there are times when he would benefit from showing more patience behind his linemen. Benson uses his blockers well in space to maximize big plays. Entering 2023, the Mississippi native only has one productive season. Assuming his medicals check out, his largest wart as a prospect is his lack of experience in the passing game. He doesn’t always seem comfortable catching the ball and only runs a basic route tree. Benson is extremely inexperienced in pass protection, which makes his value on third-and-mid or third-and-long situations questionable.
Overall, Benson is a jack-of-all-trades runner with above-average physical tools that generate game-changing plays. He should be in consideration for a second round selection, but NFL teams will question his value as a pass catcher and the status of his previously injured knee.
Role & Scheme Fit: Scheme versatile early-down running back
Round Projection: Second Round
Size: 6'1", 215 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 05-18-23