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