RB Benjamin is too good not to play

Freshman got jump on college career despite missing spring practice

There are valid reasons for Arizona State football to not play Eno Benjamin as a true freshman.

Running back is among ASU’s deepest and most experienced positions with two seniors – Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage – capable of a 100-yard game any given week and a sophomore backup in Nick Ralston who has drawn praise for his work ethic and progress.

Plus Benjamin’s early start at ASU last semester was short circuited by surgery on his right ankle for an injury suffered in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was unable to participate in spring practice, at least physically, but still found a way to get a jump on his college career.

“He was here and learned all the signals, knew all the plays,” ASU running backs coach John Simon said. “That gives him an advantage. It puts him maybe six months ahead of where he would be at this point.”

Benjamin was determined not to let an injury derail the effort he put in to graduate early as an honors student at Wylie East High School, near Dallas.

“I had to make sure my suffering in high school, getting extra classes out of the way, wasn’t in vain,” Benjamin said. “I had to get some part of it in. That was the mental take I had to look at it from.”

Benjamin was cleared medically April 17, two days after the spring game, and has been on the fast track ever since. It’s virtually a given now that he will play because of the talent he’s flashed in the three weeks of preseason, including a 32yard burst against the first-team defense early in Saturday’s scrimmage at Camp Tontozona.

He also showed patience and vision advanced for an 18-year-old on a short touchdown run, four plays after shrugging off a penalty that negated a tacklebusting run up the middle.

“Eno is different,” Simon said. “He’s not just your typical freshman. He’s never made less than an A in a class. A lot of classes he’s had to take online and teach himself. He’s been starting since ninth grade. As physical as he is, he’s a very smart kid and that allows him to see some things. Being able to mentally process everything so quickly allows him to make some really good decisions. That’s a strength of his.”

Full disclosure, Benjamin said he received a B in calculus this summer – “I’m not a huge fan of math” – but adds that it was a B+.

He credits being an advanced student of the game to his high school running backs coach and his commitment to film study.

“I just understand the game well,” Benjamin said. “Before the play, I’m checking out the D-line, looking at the linebackers and safeties and knowing their position on the field. I know where the holes should open up and when they should open.”

He parted defenses like Moses in high school, rushing for 7,546 yards and 111 touchdowns in four seasons. He was Texas AP Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior and a consensus fourstar recruit per 247 Sports, which rated him No. 6 nationally among 2017 running backs.

Still with Ballage and Richard ahead of him, are there enough available carries to justify not redshirting Benjamin?

Offensive coordinator Billy Napier says yes because of a history of attrition at running back and because Benjamin is that good.