Florida State University Athletics
Benson Second Running Back Selected In NFL Draft
4/26/2024 9:51:00 PM | Football
TALLAHASSEE – Florida State running back Trey Benson was selected by the Arizona Cardinals during the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday evening.
Benson, the 66th overall pick, is the fifth FSU player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, joining defensive end Jared Verse, wide receiver Keon Coleman, defensive tackle Braden Fiske and defensive back Renardo Green. Verse on Thursday night became Florida State's 47th first-round pick in program history when he was selected 19th overall by the Rams. Coleman was the first selection Friday evening when the Buffalo Bills picked him 33rd overall, Fiske was picked by the Rams at No. 39 overall and Green went to the San Francisco 49ers at 64th overall. Florida State now has 299 NFL Draft picks in its history, including 209 during its current streak of 41 straight drafts with at least one selection.
Benson was a second-team All-ACC selection in both of his seasons at Florida State and totaled 2,459 all-purpose yards while showcasing his versatility rushing, receiving and returning kickoffs. He is the only Florida State player to rush for three touchdowns in a game against Florida, a mark he hit in both games played against the Gators, and the only player in FSU history with an 80-yard touchdown rush and 80-yard touchdown catch. He also tied a program record with three 80-yard touchdowns. He recorded three games with at least three rushing touchdowns, which ranks as the third-highest total in program history, and Benson is the sixth FSU player to score at least nine rushing touchdowns in multiple seasons. His 23 career rushing touchdowns are 11th on Florida State's all-time list, while his 1,895 rushing yards rank 18th in program history.
Last season, Benson rushed for 906 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 20 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown. He was the only player in the country with an 80-yard rushing touchdown and an 80-yard receiving touchdown in 2023, and he was the only ACC rusher with multiple three-touchdown games. His rushing touchdowns total tied for seventh on FSU's single-season list, was second in the ACC and 15th nationally in 2023. His 15 total touchdowns also ranked second in the conference, and his average of 5.81 yards per carry was fourth in the ACC. Benson rushed for a career-high 200 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries in FSU's 39-17 win over Virginia Tech. His average of 18.2 yards per carry against the Hokies broke Florida State's single-game record that had been held by Warrick Dunn since 1995. Benson produced the fifth-best single-game rushing performance in Doak Campbell Stadium history and joined Dalvin Cook as the only FSU rushers with a 200-yard game since 1988. In addition to his three-touchdown game in FSU's 24-15 win at Florida, Benson also scored three rushing touchdowns in the 66-13 win over Southern Miss. He had a rushing touchdown and receiving score in the 41-16 win at Wake Forest, and his 80-yard touchdown catch helped propel his first collegiate 100-yard receiving game.
The Greenville, Mississippi, native was an immediate impact player in 2022 after joining the program in January of that year. He rushed for 990 yards and nine touchdowns and returned five kickoffs for 192 yards and one touchdown. He was the first player to earn outright ACC Running Back of the Week in three straight weeks, which he accomplished by rushing for more than 100 yards in each of the final three games of the regular season. Benson culminated his streak by rushing for 111 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-38 victory over Florida, becoming the first UF opponent to rush for three touchdowns in one game since 1997. He started the streak with a then-career-best 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 45-3 win at Miami and then bettered that mark the next week with 163 yards in a 38-3 win at Syracuse, a total that was the highest by any ACC player on the road in 2022. He registered his first three-touchdown game in a 44-14 win over Boston College with a 93-yard kickoff return touchdown and two rushing scores. He began the game by taking the opening kickoff to the end zone, authoring the first opening kickoff return touchdown in Doak Campbell Stadium's 73-year history and becoming the first FSU player to score a kickoff return touchdown and two offensive touchdowns in the same game.
Florida State has produced five picks in the first 70 selections of the NFL Draft for the first time since 2015 and, at the time of Benson's selection, are tied for the most picks by one school in this year's Draft. Live coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft continues through Saturday on ESPN2, ABC and NFL Network.
Benson, the 66th overall pick, is the fifth FSU player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, joining defensive end Jared Verse, wide receiver Keon Coleman, defensive tackle Braden Fiske and defensive back Renardo Green. Verse on Thursday night became Florida State's 47th first-round pick in program history when he was selected 19th overall by the Rams. Coleman was the first selection Friday evening when the Buffalo Bills picked him 33rd overall, Fiske was picked by the Rams at No. 39 overall and Green went to the San Francisco 49ers at 64th overall. Florida State now has 299 NFL Draft picks in its history, including 209 during its current streak of 41 straight drafts with at least one selection.
Benson was a second-team All-ACC selection in both of his seasons at Florida State and totaled 2,459 all-purpose yards while showcasing his versatility rushing, receiving and returning kickoffs. He is the only Florida State player to rush for three touchdowns in a game against Florida, a mark he hit in both games played against the Gators, and the only player in FSU history with an 80-yard touchdown rush and 80-yard touchdown catch. He also tied a program record with three 80-yard touchdowns. He recorded three games with at least three rushing touchdowns, which ranks as the third-highest total in program history, and Benson is the sixth FSU player to score at least nine rushing touchdowns in multiple seasons. His 23 career rushing touchdowns are 11th on Florida State's all-time list, while his 1,895 rushing yards rank 18th in program history.
Last season, Benson rushed for 906 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 20 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown. He was the only player in the country with an 80-yard rushing touchdown and an 80-yard receiving touchdown in 2023, and he was the only ACC rusher with multiple three-touchdown games. His rushing touchdowns total tied for seventh on FSU's single-season list, was second in the ACC and 15th nationally in 2023. His 15 total touchdowns also ranked second in the conference, and his average of 5.81 yards per carry was fourth in the ACC. Benson rushed for a career-high 200 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries in FSU's 39-17 win over Virginia Tech. His average of 18.2 yards per carry against the Hokies broke Florida State's single-game record that had been held by Warrick Dunn since 1995. Benson produced the fifth-best single-game rushing performance in Doak Campbell Stadium history and joined Dalvin Cook as the only FSU rushers with a 200-yard game since 1988. In addition to his three-touchdown game in FSU's 24-15 win at Florida, Benson also scored three rushing touchdowns in the 66-13 win over Southern Miss. He had a rushing touchdown and receiving score in the 41-16 win at Wake Forest, and his 80-yard touchdown catch helped propel his first collegiate 100-yard receiving game.
The Greenville, Mississippi, native was an immediate impact player in 2022 after joining the program in January of that year. He rushed for 990 yards and nine touchdowns and returned five kickoffs for 192 yards and one touchdown. He was the first player to earn outright ACC Running Back of the Week in three straight weeks, which he accomplished by rushing for more than 100 yards in each of the final three games of the regular season. Benson culminated his streak by rushing for 111 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-38 victory over Florida, becoming the first UF opponent to rush for three touchdowns in one game since 1997. He started the streak with a then-career-best 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 45-3 win at Miami and then bettered that mark the next week with 163 yards in a 38-3 win at Syracuse, a total that was the highest by any ACC player on the road in 2022. He registered his first three-touchdown game in a 44-14 win over Boston College with a 93-yard kickoff return touchdown and two rushing scores. He began the game by taking the opening kickoff to the end zone, authoring the first opening kickoff return touchdown in Doak Campbell Stadium's 73-year history and becoming the first FSU player to score a kickoff return touchdown and two offensive touchdowns in the same game.
Florida State has produced five picks in the first 70 selections of the NFL Draft for the first time since 2015 and, at the time of Benson's selection, are tied for the most picks by one school in this year's Draft. Live coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft continues through Saturday on ESPN2, ABC and NFL Network.
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