Tag: Jashon Benjamin

Tampa running back Justin Thurman is offered by Rutgers football

Rutgers football offered Tampa running back Justin Thurman.

One of the top running backs in Florida was offered this week by Rutgers football.

Class of 2025 recruit Justin Thurman from Jesuit (Tampa, FL) pulled in an offer from Rutgers on Tuesday. A 6-foot, 170-pound running back, the Scarlet Knights join a recruitment that also includes Kansas and Tennesee.

He is an elusive athlete with good speed (Thurman also runs track). He also runs with power and good balance.

Jesuit went 9-5 last season.

Thurman tweeted about the offer from Rutgers football on Tuesday night. He was offered by Tennessee earlier in the day.

 

Since the return of head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] three years ago, Rutgers has been recruiting Tampa heavily. As a former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Schiano’s name certainly resonates around the area.

The 2023 recruiting class, which featured 18 total commits, had a heavy Florida flavor. Six of the players who are part of this class are from Florida.

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Included in this group of six were several standouts including running back [autotag]Jashon Benjamin[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Bo Mascoe[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Abram Wright[/autotag].

Rutgers is in the midst of their spring practice, which began on Tuesday.

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Rutgers football: Assessment on 2023 recruit Jashon Benjamin

Jashon Benjamin has a strong film and a skillset that could see him fit in nicely at Rutgers football.

Running back Jashon Benjamin is the only running back in the 2023 recruiting class for Rutgers football, making him the possible future lead back for the Scarlet Knights. The Florida native has the potential to be a strong part of the backfield.

Benjamin attended Pahokee High School (Pahokee, FL) where he played running back and defensive back. He helped the Blue Devils to a 9-3 record, along with an appearance in the FHSAA Regional Final game during his senior year.

At running back, Benjamin finished his senior season with 1,312 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. He also caught 30 receptions for 688 yards and four touchdowns.

A three-star recruit, he was a multi-sport athlete where he also ran track.

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According to 247Sports, Benjamin was a three-star and the No. 109 running back in the nation. He received 13 offers including from Arkansas State, Memphis, Purdue and Tulane among others.

Film Breakdown

When watching the film, Benjamin is clearly explosive when running the ball.

This shouldn’t be a surprise as Benjamin ran a 10.7 in the 100-meter dash and he shows off that speed when he reaches the second level.

But he is also physical as Benjamin, at 5-foot-8 and 194 pounds, can run the ball in between the tackles in the power running game. Also, he is a zone-style runner, using his quickness and explosiveness to find open running lanes. Benjamin has excellent vision and looks to hit the big play every time he touches the ball.

In the passing game, Benjamin has excellent hands and can be dangerous in the screen game. He can line up in the slot and cause mismatches against linebackers when running routes.

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Areas to work on

If Benjamin wants to be an every-down back, he will need to add more strength, although he is already pretty powerfully built. In the NCAA, the average running back weighs roughly 204.75 Ibs., meaning that Benjamin will need to put on some size.

Another area of improvement for the future Scarlet Knight is patience. Benjamin needs to work on following his blockers. His patience will come with maturity and practice.

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Watch: Rutgers football commit Jashon Benjamin has shades of Ray Rice in his running style

Jashon Benjamin runs a bit like former Rutgers star Ray Rice.

On Wednesday, Rutgers football got a commitment from Jashon Benjamin. The Florida three-star running back is an intriguing take for the Scarlet Knights, with a running style reminiscent of Ray Rice.

Rice, who was three times a Pro Bowl selection in the NFL, was a legendary running back at Rutgers who twice was an All-Big East selection. He was also an All-American his final season at Rutgers in 2007.

As for Benjamin, he runs with power and good leverage as well as balance. He hits the hole hard and has good vision. Down the field, he follows his blockers well and has the ability to cut back to find more space.

He lowers his pads well, often getting him an extra yard or two before being taken down by multiple tacklers. But it is his ability down the field to read and cut back that is impressive.

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He held Power Five offers from Rutgers and Purdue.

He had 205 rushing yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns on the season for Pahokee High School (Pahokee, FL). He also has three catches for 97 yards with a touchdown.

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Pahokee is 1-1 to start the season.

The comparisons to Rice, a former three-star recruit, are striking. The hard-running styles and vision are very similar, as is Benjamin’s ability to keep his legs moving and grab an extra or yard or two before being tackled. Even in terms of their frames, they almost are mirror images of each other.

As a senior at New Rochelle High School (New Rochelle, N.Y.) in 2005, Rice was 5-foot-9, 188-pounds. Benjamin measures in close to Rice, checking in at 5-foot-8 and 194-pounds.

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Both players run with a similar pad level and explosiveness in the open field.

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Rutgers football lands three-star running back Jashon Benjamin

Jashon Benjamin commits to Rutgers football.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Rutgers football landed a commitment on Wednesday night from Jashon Benjamin. A three-star running back, Benjamin is a 5-foot-8, 194-pound prospect at Pahokee High School (Pahokee, FL).

Rutgers and Purdue are the two Power Five programs to have offered Benjamin. Purdue offered Benjamin on June 10.

He also held offers from Arkansas State, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Tulane and Western Kentucky among others. He is ranked the No. 93 running back in the nation according to 247Sports.

A powerful running back, Benjamin gets to the second level and is very difficult to take down. Through two games, Benjamin has 205 rushing yards on 21 carries along with three receptions for 97 yards. He has three touchdowns on the season, two of which have come on the ground.

His rushing yards account for over 63 percent of Pahokee’s rushing yards on the season.

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He tweeted about the decision to commit to Rutgers on Wednesday evening:

 

Pahokee is 1-1 on the season.

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