Hawk Item – – One of 12 seniors named to 2022 Player Council . . . one of 10 juniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . one of seven sophomores named to 2020 Leadership Group . . . redshirted in 2018 after seeing action in three games . . . one of 12 true freshmen to see action in 2018 . . . six-time Dean’s List student (2018 fall, 2019 spring, 2019 fall, 2020 spring, 2020 fall, 2021 spring, 2021 fall).
2022 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for fourth year . . . Hayden Fry Award, defense . . . Team Hustle Award, special teams . . . named second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . earned Academic All-District honors by College Sports Communicators . . . Butkus Award preseason Watch List . . . preseason second-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele . . . 2022 – – Listed as first team weakside linebacker following spring practice . . . started at weakside linebacker in 7-3 opening win over South Dakota State as defense allowed just 120 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles and two asssists vs. SDSU, along with two QB pressures . . . started at weakside linebacker in 10-7 loss to Iowa State . . . 10 tackles vs. ISU, including one solo stop and nine assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-0 win over Nevada as defense allowed just 151 yards total offense . . . seven tackles vs. Nevada, including two solo stops and five assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-10 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards . . . led team with nine tackles at Rutgers, including three solo tackles and six assists, while adding one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-14 loss to #4 Michigan . . . career-high 14 tackles vs. Michigan, with six solo tackles and eight assists, including one tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 9-6 loss at Illinois . . . seven tackles at Illinois, including three solo tackles and four assists . . . first recovered fumble of career led to Iowa field goal, and also recored one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 54-10 loss at #2 Ohio State . . . six tackles at OSU, including three solo tackles and three assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 33-13 win over Northwestern as defense allowed just 18 net rushing yards and 177 yards total offense . . . nine tackles vs. Northwestern, including four solo tackles and five assists, with 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack . . . started at weakside linebacker in 24-3 win at Purdue as offense allowed just 87 net rushing yards and 255 yards total offense . . . five tackles at Purdue, including two solo tackles and three assists, along with first interception of the season . . . started at outside linebacker in 24-10 win over Wisconsin as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 227 yards total offense . . . two solo tackles against Wisconsin . . . started at weakside linebacker in 13-10 win at Minnesota . . . seven tackles at Minnesota, including three solo tackles and four assists, with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 24-17 loss to Nebraska . . . eight tackles vs. Nebraska, including five solo tackles and three assists, with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 21-0 Music City Bowl win over Kentucky as defense allowed just 68 net rushing yards and 185 yards total offense . . . seven tackles vs. Kentucky, including six solo tackles and one assist, with one QB pressure.
2021 Honors – – Team Hustle Award, defense . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, special teams . . . Academic All-Big Ten . . . third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league media . . . preseason third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . 2021 – – Started at weakside linebacker in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense . . . led team with 10 tackles vs. Indiana, including six solo stops and four assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State as defense allowed just 87 net rushing yards . . . five tackles at ISU, including three solo tackles and two assists . . . also had first career interception and six-yard return and one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense . . . five solo tackles vs. Kent State . . . started at weakside linebacker in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense . . . 11 tackles vs. CSU, including three solo stops and eight assists, with 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense . . . one solo tackle and one assist at Maryland . . . started at weakside linebacker in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . five tackles vs. PSU, including three solo stops and two assists, along with two QB pressures . . . started at weakside llinebacker in 24-7 loss to Purdue . . . 12 tackles vs. Purdue, matching career-best with 10 solo tackles and two assists . . . also recorded one QB sack and one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . seven tackles at Wisconsin, including two solo stops and five assists . . . started at weakside linebacker in 17-12 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . eight tackles at Northwestern, including five solo stops and three assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . seven tackles vs. Minnesota, including three solo stops and four assists, along with one pass break-up and one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 33-23 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards . . . seven tackles vs. Illinois, including two solo stops and five assists, to go with career-best two pass break-ups . . . started at weakside linebacker in 28-21 win at Nebraska . . . recorded 10 tackles at Nebraska, including two solo stops and eight assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at weakside linebacker in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan . . . six tackles vs. Michigan, including four solo tackles and two assists, with one sack and one QB pressure . . . started at weakside linebacker in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky . . . 10 tackles vs. Kentucky, including five solo tackles and five assists, to go with one QB pressure.
2020 Honors – – Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league media . . . Academic All-Big Ten for second year . . . 2020 – – Started final seven games after missing opening game due to injury . . . recorded 26 solo tackles and 21 assists, with three tackles for loss and two sacks . . . did not see action in 24-20 loss at Purdue due to injury . . . started at middle linebacker in 21-20 loss to Northwestern in first action of the season . . . career-high 13 tackles vs. Northwestern, including 10 solo stops and three assists, along with two QB pressures . . . started at middle linebacker/cash position in 49-7 win over Michigan State as offense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . eight tackles vs. MSU, including two solo stops and six assists . . . started at middle linebacker in 35-7 win at Minnesota . . . seven tackles at Minnesota, including four solo stops and three assists . . . started at middle linebacker in 41-21 win at Penn State as defense allowed just 62 net rushing yards . . . eight tackles at PSU, including four solo stops and four assists, with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at middle linebacker in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . four tackles vs. Nebraska, including three solo stops and one assist, with one QB sack . . . started at middle linebacker in 35-21 win at Illinois . . three tackles at Illinois, including one solo tackle and two assists, along with one QB pressure . . . started at middle linebacker in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin as defense allowed 56 net rushing yards and 225 yards total offense . . . four tackles vs. Badgers, including two solo stops and two assists, with 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
2019 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2019 – – Saw action in all 13 games, recording six solo tackles and five assists . . . saw action in 38-14 win over Miami, recording two solo tackles and two assists as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 30-0 win over Rutgers, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 125 yards total offense . . . saw action in 18-17 win at Iowa State, recording two assisted tackles . . . saw action in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . saw action in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 26-20 win over Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 33 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 20-0 win at Northwestern, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards and 202 yards total offense . . . saw action in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 19-10 win over Illinois, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 27-24 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 22 net rushing yards.
2018 – – Saw action in three games, but had no statistics.
High school honors – – Named South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior . . . first-team elite all-state as a junior and senior . . . first-team all-conference as a junior and senior . . . Career – – Four-year football letterman as linebacker, quarterback and running back . . . ranks fourth all-time at Washington HS with 236 career tackles . . . helped prep team win three state championships, posting a three-year record of 35-1, including a 34-game winning streak . . . recorded 105 tackles as a senior, with 13 tackles for loss, six sacks and four caused fumbles . . . team captain as a senior . . . also lettered in basketball, track and baseball.
Personal – – Born 7/27/99 . . . health and human physiology major . . . earned academic all-state recognition with a 4.0 prep GPA . . . named Student of the Year as a freshman and junior . . . parents are JoElle and Chuck Benson . . . high school coach was Chad Stadem.