TEMPE, Ariz. -- Sun Devil Football junior running back Eno Benjamin announced his decision today to forgo his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
"I want to thank Coach Herm and every other coach that has contributed to my success on and off the field," Benjamin said. "Thank you, Arizona State University. I've enjoyed my three years here and I have made memories with my brothers that will last beyond this lifetime. With that being said, I have decided to forgo my senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft."
Benjamin will leave Arizona State with his name at or near the top of the program's record book in several significant rushing statistics. His 2018 season was one of the best ever by a Sun Devil running back, as he shattered Woody Green's 46-year-old school record for rushing yards in a season. He completed his sophomore season with 1,642 yards on the ground while also setting the school record for most games going over 100 yards rushing with nine. Benjamin was recognized by the AP for his breakout season, receiving Third Team All-American honors from the publication after the 2018 season.
"It has been my pleasure to coach Eno these last two seasons. His contributions to this university cannot be understated, and that goes beyond his historical performances on the field," said head coach Herm Edwards. "He has been a role model in the classroom and an incredible ambassador for Sun Devil Athletics in his community engagement. Eno exemplifies everything we hope to achieve with the young men that come through this program and I look forward to seeing him represent ASU at the next level."
The Wylie, Texas native came up big when the Sun Devils needed him the most, rushing for 900 yards (100 yards/game) in the nine games against AP Top 25 competition over the past two seasons. He entered Territorial Cup lore with his clutch performances against rival Arizona. Benjamin accumulated 248 total rushing yards, five touchdowns and two Bob Moran Most Outstanding Player trophies (Game MVP) in his final two appearances against the Wildcats. His 168 rushing yards in the 2019 edition are the fourth-most by a Sun Devil in the rivalry game.
Benjamin was more than just a ball carrier as a running back, as he offered versatility that allowed him to contribute as a receiver and in pass protection. His 347 receiving yards this season are sixth among all FBS running backs and his 42 receptions are tied for fifth in the nation. The season he put together in 2018 was one of the top statistical all-purpose seasons ever by a Sun Devil. He finished with 1,905 all-purpose yards, the third-most in single-season school history. His 3,620 career all-purpose yards (2,867 rushing; 625 receiving; 119 kick return; 9 punt return) are good enough for Top-15 in program history despite only starting for two seasons. He took control of a majority of the pass protection calls, assisting an offense that was being operated by a true freshman quarterback.
The advance metrics favor Benjamin as well, as he rates as one of the highest-graded backs in several categories according to various statistical outlets. Benjamin continued to make people miss this year, forcing 72 missed tackles this season - a total tied for 10th nationally among running backs according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the regular season 22nd nationally with 739 yards after contact this season (68.2 percent of his 1,083 rushing yards). He has helped rally the offense when attempting to come back, as PFF credited him with 22 rushing first downs when the team is trailing by 7 or fewer points - the second-highest total nationally - while his seven rushing touchdowns while trailing by a touchdown or less are first in the FBS and his 354 yards in the situation are 8th nationally.
Arizona State gets ready to face the Florida State Seminoles in the 86th annual Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. Tickets are now available to the general public and can be purchased by calling the Sun Devil Athletics Ticket Office at 480-727-0000 or by clicking here. Stay tuned to @ASUFootball on Twitter and www.thesundevils.com for continuous updates on all things Sun Devil Football.
"I want to thank Coach Herm and every other coach that has contributed to my success on and off the field," Benjamin said. "Thank you, Arizona State University. I've enjoyed my three years here and I have made memories with my brothers that will last beyond this lifetime. With that being said, I have decided to forgo my senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft."
Benjamin will leave Arizona State with his name at or near the top of the program's record book in several significant rushing statistics. His 2018 season was one of the best ever by a Sun Devil running back, as he shattered Woody Green's 46-year-old school record for rushing yards in a season. He completed his sophomore season with 1,642 yards on the ground while also setting the school record for most games going over 100 yards rushing with nine. Benjamin was recognized by the AP for his breakout season, receiving Third Team All-American honors from the publication after the 2018 season.
"It has been my pleasure to coach Eno these last two seasons. His contributions to this university cannot be understated, and that goes beyond his historical performances on the field," said head coach Herm Edwards. "He has been a role model in the classroom and an incredible ambassador for Sun Devil Athletics in his community engagement. Eno exemplifies everything we hope to achieve with the young men that come through this program and I look forward to seeing him represent ASU at the next level."
The two-year starter also holds the record for most rushing yards in a game by a Sun Devil, rushing for 312 yards in a spectacular effort against Oregon State last season. The performance was one of 15 in his career in which he surpassed the century mark in rushing, giving him the fourth-most games with 100+ yards rushing in school history. Benjamin rushed for 1,083 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019 on his way to earning First Team Pac-12 All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season. In reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second-straight year, he becomes the first Sun Devil running back since Freddie Williams (1974-75) to accomplish the feat in consecutive years.— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) December 15, 2018
ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS!@eno_benjamin5 gets the last 30 yards of the drive, scores a touchdown and he is your NEW SCHOOL RECORD HOLDER.
1,585 yards for the sophomore and he passes Woody Green's 1972 single-season rushing record (1,565) pic.twitter.com/fJtTwT8vEF
"My time here at ASU has been nothing short of amazing," Benjamin added. "Thank you to all the coaches that have given me the opportunity to represent this university and my family at a very high level. I also want to thank the Normal School of 1885 and everyone who fought for Arizona State to be a University. Choosing ASU was the best decision of my life and I'll never regret it."SINGLE GAME RUSHING RECORD ??
— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) September 30, 2018
Eno Benjamin set the @ASUFootball record for rushing yards in a game with 312 yards, shattering the previous record of 250 yards set by Ben Malone in 1973! pic.twitter.com/XQWDpBVNj1
The Wylie, Texas native came up big when the Sun Devils needed him the most, rushing for 900 yards (100 yards/game) in the nine games against AP Top 25 competition over the past two seasons. He entered Territorial Cup lore with his clutch performances against rival Arizona. Benjamin accumulated 248 total rushing yards, five touchdowns and two Bob Moran Most Outstanding Player trophies (Game MVP) in his final two appearances against the Wildcats. His 168 rushing yards in the 2019 edition are the fourth-most by a Sun Devil in the rivalry game.
The focal point of the Arizona State ground attack, Benjamin was the epitome of a workhorse back. He finished his career sixth in school history with 576 career carries, the second-most by a three-year player. The 300 rushing attempts he recorded as a sophomore are a program record, surpassing the previous mark by 44 carries. Benjamin has accounted for two of the three seasons with the most carries by Sun Devil, finishing with 253 this season, the third-most in school history.EB3 ?? MVP pic.twitter.com/BFUIIthDGr
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) December 1, 2019
Benjamin was more than just a ball carrier as a running back, as he offered versatility that allowed him to contribute as a receiver and in pass protection. His 347 receiving yards this season are sixth among all FBS running backs and his 42 receptions are tied for fifth in the nation. The season he put together in 2018 was one of the top statistical all-purpose seasons ever by a Sun Devil. He finished with 1,905 all-purpose yards, the third-most in single-season school history. His 3,620 career all-purpose yards (2,867 rushing; 625 receiving; 119 kick return; 9 punt return) are good enough for Top-15 in program history despite only starting for two seasons. He took control of a majority of the pass protection calls, assisting an offense that was being operated by a true freshman quarterback.
The advance metrics favor Benjamin as well, as he rates as one of the highest-graded backs in several categories according to various statistical outlets. Benjamin continued to make people miss this year, forcing 72 missed tackles this season - a total tied for 10th nationally among running backs according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the regular season 22nd nationally with 739 yards after contact this season (68.2 percent of his 1,083 rushing yards). He has helped rally the offense when attempting to come back, as PFF credited him with 22 rushing first downs when the team is trailing by 7 or fewer points - the second-highest total nationally - while his seven rushing touchdowns while trailing by a touchdown or less are first in the FBS and his 354 yards in the situation are 8th nationally.
Benjamin got it done on and off the field during his time in Tempe, as he earned a Bachelor's Degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business and will officially graduate later this month. He was recently named to the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII First Team, in addition to his Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention selection last season.Eno Benjamin ran right through the Arizona defense this past weekend. pic.twitter.com/2DA09FHTgQ
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 5, 2019
Arizona State gets ready to face the Florida State Seminoles in the 86th annual Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. Tickets are now available to the general public and can be purchased by calling the Sun Devil Athletics Ticket Office at 480-727-0000 or by clicking here. Stay tuned to @ASUFootball on Twitter and www.thesundevils.com for continuous updates on all things Sun Devil Football.