Pleasant Grove’s Xavier Benson Offered By Tulane

One of East Texas' top defenders picked up his third Division I scholarship offer on Thursday, and his second of the week.

Pleasant Grove 2018 linebacker Xavier Benson announced via Twitter that he has received an offer from Tulane.

Benson (6-0, 200) was offered by Ivy League and FCS school Cornell on Monday, and was previously given an FBS offer from Louisiana-Lafayette.

Tulane has now offered two East Texas recruits in the 2018 class, as Benson joins Tyler Lee quarterback Chance Amie, whom the Green Wave offered on Sunday.

Benson helped guide Pleasant Grove to the third round of the Class 4A Division II state playoffs last season. He had 89 tackles and tied for the team lead in takeaways with four through the 13-game campaign.

Pleasant Grove also utilizes Benson as a heavy receiver on the high school level. He caught nine balls for 122 yards and two touchdowns out of an offense that utilizes the Wing-T formation.

Tulane, which plays in the American Athletic Conference, posted a 4-8 record last year under first-year coach Willie Fritz. The campaign was a one-win improvement compared to both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Fritz, who has never been fired in 23 years as a head coach, previously served as a Texas high school coach and held lead collegiate jobs within the state.

He was the head coach at Willis High School for the 1986 season and was in charge of the Blinn College program by 1993.

Fritz hopped to Central Missouri after three years at Blinn and spent 13 years with that NCAA Division II program. He returned to Texas in 2010 to coach Sam Houston State, where he led the Bearkats to two FCS championship game appearances in four seasons.

Georgia Southern hired Fritz in 2014. He posted a 17-7 record in two seasons before moving to Tulane.

The Green Wave program owns nine conference titles and has been to 12 bowl games in its 123-year history.

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 offer from ULL, Mississippi State (3)
• Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Colorado State, Iowa State, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (10)
• Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Tulane, ULL (2)
• Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 215 — offers from Mississippi State, Texas State, ULL (3)
• Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offer from ULL (1)
• Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-4, 250 — offer from ULL (1)
• Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 340 — committed to LSU; additional offers from Arizona, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech (15)
• Tevailance Hunt, Texas High, WR, 6-2, 180 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, North Texas, Southern Miss, Tulsa (9)
• Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, UTSA (23)
• Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 5-8, 165 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
• DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, ATH, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, UTSA (26)
• Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — offer from ULL, Washington State (2)