Oklahoma State University Athletics
2023 Football Roster
Roster
Xavier Benson
- Height:
- 6-2
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Texarkana, TX
- High School:
- Pleasant Grove
Started all 27 games during the two years he was at OSU ... Was among OSU’s leading tacklers both years ... A JUCO product who started his career at Texas Tech.
2023 (Senior): One of nine Cowboys and seven defenders to start all 14 games ... Finished the year with 65 total tackles, 37 of which were solo stops ... His tackles total ranked fifth on the team ... Had 7.5 tackles for loss to rank third on the team ... Also added 1.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakups ... One of the standout games of his career came in the Bedlam win over Oklahoma, as he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance ... Was all over the field against OU, recording a season-high seven tackles, a sack, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and three tackles for loss, which tied the most by a Cowboy all season ... The performance made hime the first Big 12 player since UT’s Joseph Ossai in 2020 to record at least three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in one game ... On Oklahoma’s second drive of the game, he recorded a strip-sack and then recovered a fumble just two plays later ... Two of Benson’s most impactful tackles in the game included a six-yard tackle for loss against Drake Stoops on third down with about four minutes remaining in the first half, and third down tackle to help bring down Jalil Farooq five yards short of the marker before OU’s final offensive play that was stopped to seal the three-point Cowboy win ... Recorded multiple tackles in every game, with at least five in eight games ... Also named OSU’s defensive MVP against Oklahoma and co-defensive MVP against West Virginia ... Served as a game captain agaisnt Central Arkansas, West Virginia and UCF.
2022 (Junior): One of six total players and four defensive players to start all 13 games during the season ... Finished as OSU’s third-leading tackler with 76 total tackles ... His 36 solo stops ranked fifth on the team ... Added four tackles for loss, two pass breakups and aeight quarterback hurries ... Named OSU’s defensive player of the week vs. Baylor after he set a career-high with 10 total tackles, including six solo stops ... Had at least one tackle in every game and at least four tackles in 10 games ... In addition to the Baylor game, his other highs included eight tackles in the games against Central Michigan, Texas Tech and TCU and seven tackles in the games vs. Iowa State and West Virginia ... Served as a game captain in the win over Texas Tech.
Junior College: Spent the 2021 season at Tyler Junior College, playing for coach Thomas Rocco … Played in all 12 games at linebacker, recording 120 total tackles with 69 solo stops … Also added 8.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and half a sack … His 120 total tackles ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA … Listed as a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports … ESPN ranks him as the No. 23 overall JUCO prospect in the 2022 class and as the No. 2 JUCO linebacker … 247Sports listed him as the No. 4 JUCO linebacker in the 2022 class and as the No. 3 JUCO prospect in Texas ... Chose Oklahoma State over offers from Indiana, Memphis and Kansas.
2020 (at Texas Tech): Opted out of the 2020 season.
2019 (Freshman at Texas Tech): Became a regular starter as a redshirt freshman, playing in all 12 games and making 10 starts at linebacker … Made 57 total tackles on the season, including 36 solo stops … Also had 4.0 tackles for a loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry … Ranked fourth on the team and third in the linebacker core for tackles on the year … Had six games with at least five tackles, including a season high of nine against Texas.
2018 (at Texas Tech): Took a redshirt season his first year at Texas Tech … Played late in a win over Kansas.
High School: Attended Pleasant Grove in Texarkana, Texas ... One of the top two-way players in the state of Texas as a senior ... Helped lead Pleasant Grove to the Class 4A Division II state title to close his prep career ... Recorded four tackles at linebacker and a 22-yard pick six near the end of regulation to secure the 41-21 victory over West Orange-Stark ... Also caught four passes for 114 yards as a tight end in the state title game to win the first state title in school history ... Named the District 7-4A Division II Most Valuable Player as a senior ... Ended the year with 20 catches for 526 yards and five touchdowns offensively, while adding 105 tackles, including seven for a loss, on defense ... Had seven sacks, seven quarterback hurries, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks as well ... Closed his junior season in 2016 with 98 tackles, including eight that went for a loss ... Also added five sacks, recovered three fumbles and forced four others while also recording a pair of interceptions ... One of his fumble recoveries was returned 99 yards for a touchdown ... Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports ... listed at No. 61 among outside linebackers nationally by ESPN and at No. 86 by 247Sports ... Held offers from Texas Tech, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Army, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston State, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Tulane, Tulsa and Wyoming, as well as Ivy League offers from Cornell and Dartmouth.
Personal: Xavier Benson is the son of Byron and Jacqueline Benson ... Has two older brothers, Lewis Burns and Johnny Benson.
