Jacksonville WR is UCFs first commit of 2016
Phil Benker didn't hesitate when the official offer was extended during a meeting with UCF head coach George O'Leary on Friday afternoon.
The Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood wide receiver committed on the spot to become the Knights' first pledge for the Class of 2016.
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"Coach Sean Beckton contacted my high school coach on Thursday and said they really like me," Benker said. "They're really interested. I'm their guy, they said. They're just waiting to get the okay from the head coach to offer me."
Benker had initially thought about coming on Saturday for the Junior Day, but he and his coaches decided to drive down early Friday morning to attend UCF's second spring practice and get a look around campus.
"After talking with the coaches for a little bit, Coach O'Leary pulled me into his office," Benker said. "He told me straightforward that I'm a very highly-ranked wide receiver on their board, one of their top receivers. He said I have a scholarship offer from them. It's up to me whether I want to fulfill that offer. I told them I really wanted to play there. I saw how they used their wide receivers in practice and just how they treat their players. I really liked that.
"Probably within 10 minutes of Coach O'Leary saying I had the offer I committed. Coach Beckton was excited. I had told him a few days ago I wanted to be at UCF. All it really took was meeting the head coach. He said he wasn't going to pressure me into coming there, that type of stuff. The way it works I guess is they offer like 10 receivers and they're going to take three of them. The first three that commit have a spot. I told him flat out that I wanted to commit. We shook on it. Everybody was just excited. Coach O'Leary said, 'Welcome to the family.'"
Benker said the decision was a no-brainer.
"I already had it in my head that's what I wanted to do," he said. "Other than being Wide Receiver University, just being there and seeing the intensity of the practice and sitting and meeting with them, I just loved how they run their program.
"I toured the facility and everything, the stadium. I liked the academic part of course, but what set them apart from other schools is the offense and the competition level at practice. It was crazy. They were competing and going after it. Those are the type of guys I want to be around.
I visited some other schools that offered me and the way UCF goes about recruiting is different. I really liked it. They also told me I could come and play early and make an immediate impact."
In fact, Benker has been aware of UCF for quite some time.
"I've definitely known about UCF," Benker said. "They're real close to home so I've watched them on TV. I met Mike Sims-Walker today and I remember watching him play in Jacksonville. I know about Brandon Marshall, all the big-time guys."
Asked to name his favorite players growing up, Benker said Marshall would definitely be one along with Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson.
As a junior, the 6-foot-2 Benker had 59 receptions for 1,061 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"Coach Beckton told me he feels like I'm already a real polished receiver," Benker said. "I'm real smooth with route running and he likes how I make plays. I could make an impact coming in."
Other schools that offered included Wake Forest, Duke, Colorado and Troy.
"Wake Forest and Duke were the two other frontrunners I guess you could say," he said. "I visited both last weekend. UCF set themselves apart when I visited today. I just loved everything about it."
Benker is hoping to return to UCF next Saturday so his mother can see the campus and meet the coaches.
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