Pleasant Grove’s Xavier Benson Offered By Texas Tech

It took a while but Pleasant Grove 2018 linebacker Xavier Benson has his first major Division I scholarship offer.

Texas Tech became the first school from a Power 5 conference to offer Benson (6-0, 200), he announced via Twitter on Wednesday evening.

In addition to the Red Raiders, Benson also holds offers from Arkansas State, Army, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Tulane.

Benson helped guide Pleasant Grove to a third-round playoff appearance at the Class 4A Division II level last season and finished a 13-game campaign with 89 tackles as well as four total takeaways.

Pleasant Grove also used Benson as a heavy receiver in its Wing-T set. He caught nine balls for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

Benson is just the third East Texan in the 2018 class to receive an offer from Texas Tech, joining Marshall offensive lineman and LSU commit Chasen Hines and Carthage running Keaontay Ingram.

Texas Tech will be entering its fifth season under head coach Kliff Kingsbury this fall. The Red Raiders are 24-26 with Kingsbury and coming off a 5-7 campaign in 2016.

Benson, like all college football prospects currently in their junior year of high school, will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him in February.

2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-0, 200 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, ULL (5)
• Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Colorado State, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa State, North Texas, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (14)
• Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Arkansas State, Army, North Texas, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULL, ULM (9)
• Drake Centers, Tatum, OL, 6-4, 295 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Kris Dike, Van, OL, 6-6, 283 — offers from Houston, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU (5)
• Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 215 — offers from Houston, Mississippi State, SMU, Texas State, ULL (5)
• Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offer from ULL (1)
• Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-4, 250 — offers from ULL, ULM (2)
• Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 340 — committed to LSU; additional offers from Arizona, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rice, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech (16)
• Tevailance Hunt, Texas High, WR, 6-2, 180 — committed to Kansas; additional offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall University, Nevada, North Texas, Southern Miss, Tulsa (10)
• Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, UTSA (27)
• Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 5-8, 165 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
• DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, ATH, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, UTSA (30)
• Jonathan Shepherd, Kilgore, WR, 6-3, 196 — offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Kansas State, ULM, New Mexico, Oregon State (6)
• Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — committed to Washington State; additional offers from Kansas, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM (6)