Pleasant Grove’s Xavier Benson Offered By Rice
Pleasant Grove 2018 linebacker Xavier Benson continues to pile up Division I scholarship offers, and on Friday, he received his 13th from an FBS program.
Benson (6-0, 200) announced via Twitter that Rice has become the latest school to offer.
Other FBS programs to extend opportunities to Benson are Arkansas State, Army, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Memphis, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, and Wyoming.
The Hawks' defender later reported via Twitter of offers from Stephen F. Austin and Dartmouth from the FCS level.
Benson is the second East Texas prospect in the 2018 recruiting class with a Rice offer, joining Marshall OL and LSU commit Chasen Hines.
Last season, Benson helped guide Pleasant Grove to the third round of the Class 4A Division II state playoffs. 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 a Wing-T offense.
Rice competes in Conference USA and is coached by David Bailiff, who has been in charge of the program since 2007. The Owls are coming off a 3-9 finish in 2016, resulting in their first back-to-back losing seasons since 2010-11.
SFA, which competes in the Southland Conference, is coached by Clint Conque. The Lumberjacks were 5-6 overall and 4-5 in league play last season.
Dartmouth is an Ivy League school located in Hanover, N.H. The Big Green are coached by Buddy Teevens and went 4-6 in 2016 a year after winning the Ivy League title.
Benson, like all soon-to-be seniors with Division I football options, will become eligible with any school that offers him in December.
2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers
- Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-2, 211 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (7)
- Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa State, New Mexico, North Texas, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (17)
- Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Arkansas State, Army, Memphis, North Texas, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULL, ULM, Wyoming (13)
- Drake Centers, Tatum, OL, 6-3, 296 — offers from SMU, Texas State (2)
- Kylar Cooks, Liberty-Eylau, OL, 6-5, 252 — offers from Arkansas State, North Texas, Texas State, ULL (4)
- Kris Dike, Van, OL, 6-6, 283 — offers from Colorado, Houston, Memphis, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Tulane (8)
- Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 209 — committed to Houston; additional offers from Mississippi State, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (6)
- Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offers from Florida Atlantic, New Mexico State, Tulane, ULL, ULM (5)
- Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-3, 243 — offers from ULL, ULM (2)
- Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 353 — 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, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Memphis, Nevada, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Southern Miss, Tulsa (14)
- Dewaylon Ingram, Carthage, WR, 6-0, 160 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
- 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, 163 — offers from Arkansas State, Texas State (2)
- Kameron King, Marshall, OL, 6-2, 275 — offers from Memphis, North Texas, Tulane, ULM (4)
- Trevor Lawrence, Whitehouse, DE, 6-4, 245 — offer from ULM (1)
- DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, S, 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)
- Leonard Parks, Texas High, DE, 6-5, 230 — offer from ULM (1)
- Jonathan Shepherd, Kilgore, WR, 6-3, 196 — offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Kansas State, ULM, Missouri, New Mexico, Memphis, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech (15)
- Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — committed to Washington State; additional offers from Houston, Kansas, Memphis, Oklahoma State, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Tulane, ULL, ULM, Wyoming (12)