West Bloomfield’s Benjamin to Stanford after wild three-day ride
West Bloomfield junior cornerback Jamir Benjamin got his fourth recruiting star and solidified his college football plans last week.
It was a whirlwind of emotion playing out over a 72-hour period.
First, on Friday, ESPN bumped Benjamin from a three-star prospect to a four-star recruit. On Saturday, he committed to Stanford of the PAC12, only to have to reconfirm his pledge to the Cardinal Monday after head coach David Shaw resigned Sunday afternoon.
Considered the top cover corner in the state’s Class of 2023, Benjamin (6-foot-0, 175 pounds) was offered by Shaw, the winningest coach in Stanford football history, back in October, He visited campus in Palo Alto, California last month.
“I’m locked in with Stanford,” Benjamin said. “The school sells itself, football or no football.”
Benjamin’s West Bloomfield squad shared an OAA Red title in 2022, finishing the season 8-2. Benjamin recorded 45 tackles and 5 interceptions on the season.
Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue, Tennessee, Louisville, Iowa, Georgia Tech and Maryland, among others, were all in hot pursuit of Benjamin’s talents at the next level. ESPN considers him the No. 10 overall player in the state of Michigan for the current junior recruiting class.
North-bound winds felt in C-Town
Clarkston senior offensive lineman Gauge Heikkinen committed to Michigan Tech, going north to the Upper Peninsula to play on the gridiron in college. Heikkinen (65, 275) is a three-year starter on the line for the Wolves. His Clarkston club advanced into the Division 1 final four in 2022 and Heikkinen helped clear the path for all-state tailback Ethan Clark (Princeton) break season and career rushing records for the program.
“I can’t wait to be part of the Michigan Tech football program and play against the many other outstanding teams in the GLIAC,” he said.
Quote of the Week
“When it came to coaching at CC, the privilege was all mine” — retiring Novi Detroit Catholic Central sideline general Dan Anderson