Florida State added more speed to its receiving corps on Monday, landing a commitment from Alabama transfer Malik Benson as he picked the Seminoles over rival Florida and his home-state team in Kansas State.
Benson, who was the nation’s No. 1 JUCO recruit in the 2023 cycle, had some productive moments in his lone year at Alabama, but only recorded 13 catches for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. His 21 target 0n 172 routes reflect nominal usage, and his 26 Go Routes (653rd nationally) suggest that Benson’s 10.4 100-meter speed wasn’t utilized a ton.
Can FSU unlock Benson’s full skill set in his senior season?
Here’s a look at what the Seminoles are getting in Benson.
Top Trait: SPEED
FSU is loading up on speed this Portal cycle. First came WR Jalen Brown, who ran in the the 100-meter dash in the 10.6 range in high school. Then it was RB/WR/KR Jaylin Lucas, who also was a 10.6-range sprinter.
And now FSU adds Benson, who was a 10.4-second sprinter.
This is THE trait to note when talking about Benson, because it’s what his calling card will be at FSU this season. The Seminoles figure to deploy a vertical passing game given that all their signal callers have the capability of legitimately pushing the ball downfield, and having someone like Benson who can draw attention from safeties figures to open things up for the rest of the passing game.
I think what stands out about Benson’s speed is that, yes, you expect him to be a vertical threat. But it shows up in a variety of ways:–YAC Ability. You saw it on the clip above, but it’s worth noting that Benson’s ability to get yards after the catch translated over to his work at Alabama. Again, opportunities were relatively sparse, but he showed the ability to make plays in space when given the chance to catch the ball on the move.
Beyond just being fast, Benson has a good deal of fluidity and explosiveness in his movements. I think that is part of what FSU is so excited about. Yes, they see a downfield threat, but there’s a chance for Benson to be a No. 1 type of receiver with the right seasoning and enough at-bats. He has good hands (1 drop last year, with some tough catches in traffic) and is just a very coordinated, graceful athlete.
