Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks viewed as the front runner for elite defender with decision date coming quickly

As today stands, Oregon is viewed as the team to beat for the California star. That is especially important because the Ducks have had a couple of misses at the position recently. That includes when Joey O’Brien chose Notre Dame, and Jireh Edwards opted for Alabama. 

Don’t get it twisted, however, Benjamin isn’t a consolation prize or a replacement. He is also an elite level football player. 

Benjamin currently ranks as the No. 36 overall player, the No. 5 safety, and No. 7 player from the state of California in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports ranking. Him being considered a top-100 player and high end four-star player is pretty consistent across each of the major recruiting platforms.

A long list of impressive suitors had been pursuing Benjamin heavily before trimming his list. Some do the top schools that have offered include the Ducks, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, USC, Miami, Florida State, Louisville, Michigan State, Washington, UNC, Arizona State, Syracuse, BYU, Cal, UCLA, Purdue, and Mississippi State among others. 

Benjamin is a playmaking presence on both sides of the football for Oaks Christian. On offense, he managed to haul in 34 receptions for 404 yards and two touchdowns. He was also able to record another 464 yards on punt and kick return. 

The 6-0, 170-pound athlete, of course, did his best work on the defensive side of the football. As a junior, he was able to collect 45 total tackles, six interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. Benjamin also scored three more touchdowns on defense.