BTW’s Eric Bennett Finding Success at Arkansas
BROKEN UP: Former Booker T. Washington Hornet and current University of Arkansas defensive back Eric Bennett breaks up a pass intended for Mississippi State’s Arceta Clarkin.
2012: Eric Bennett has recorded over 30 tackles this season.
2011: Started all 13 games at safety after moving from cornerback during spring practice and finished the season with 74 tackles, 3.0 for loss, three interceptions and three pass breakups. He ranked second on the team and tied for 12th in the in interceptions, fourth on the team in tackles and tied for fourth among Razorbacks in pass breakups. His two interceptions on the road tied for fifth in the . He put out a two-tackle performance in the first start of his career, a 51-7 season-opening win against Missouri State. He made five tackles, including 0.5 for loss, in the 52-3 win vs. New Mexico. The next week, he recorded a then-career-high eight tackles, 0.5 for loss, and one pass breakup in a 38-28 victory vs. Troy. At No. 3 Alabama, he made seven tackles. He made six tackles in the come-from-behind 42-38 win vs. No. 14 Texas A&M. He had a career-high nine tackles, 0.5 for loss, and made his first career interception in the 38-14 victory vs. No. 15 Auburn. He made five tackles and the game-clinching interception, which he grabbed with less than one minute to play in the 29-24 win at Ole Miss. He extended his interception streak to three straight games the next week as he made one interception and six tackles, including five solo, in a 31-28 victory at Vanderbilt. He recorded five tackles in the 44-28 win vs. No. 10 South Carolina. The next week he made three tackles, including 1.0 for loss, in a 49-7 win against Tennessee. He made four tackles, 0.5 for loss, and one pass breakup in the 44-17 victory vs. Mississippi State. At No. 1 , he tied his career high with nine tackles and added one pass breakup. He made five tackles, four solo, as the Razorbacks ended the season with a 29-16 defeat of No. 11 Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
2010: Appeared in 12 games, missing only Arkansas’ 38-24 win vs. Ole Miss, and made 15 tackles, 1.0 for loss, with one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. Bennett made his Razorback debut in his first game on campus and made three tackles in UA’s 44-3 win vs. Tennessee Tech. He posted a season-high seven tackles with one fumble recovery and one pass breakup in the Razorbacks’ 38-31 double-overtime victory at No. 22 Mississippi State. He made one tackle in UA’s 31-24 win at Georgia. He made two tackles, 1.0 for loss, in Arkansas’ 49-14 win vs. Vanderbilt and also recorded two tackles in a 58-21 victory vs. .
High School: Bennett was a versatile athlete who played quarterback, running back, wide receiver and cornerback at Booker T. Washington High School and was one of the top-rated players in the state of Oklahoma. He was chosen as the No. 37 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com and the No. 49 athlete nationally by Rivals.com. He was also the No. 10 ranked prospect in Oklahoma by Rivals.com. He was named a 2009 first-team Oklahoma 5A all-state honoree as an all-purpose player. He played in only seven games as a senior due to a shoulder injury and completed 54-of-96 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns. He also carried the ball 100 times for 581 yards and five touchdowns. He had one of his top performances of the season in the top-ranked Hornets’ 27-6 victory over No. 2 Carl Albert. Against the Titans, he carried the ball 11 times for 185 yards, including a season-long 67-yard run, and he threw for a touchdown. Against Broken Arrow, he had 22 runs for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed 15-of-25 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. As a junior, he led the Hornets to a 13-1 record and the class 5A state championship while passing and rushing for more than 1,000 yards and scoring 27 touchdowns. On defense, he had 11 tackles and one interception. He also ran track and clocked a 10.7-second time in the 100 meters. He was recruited by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oregon State and Texas Tech.
Updated 12-10-2012
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