Nebraska likes to cross-train its defensive backs to see where they might fit best in defensive coordinator Tony White’s system. I like their philosophy of mixing and matching players in the secondary to see how the puzzle looks.
While some of the 10 defensive back additions for 2024 will ultimately move down a level, there are some who just seem tailor-made for a specific secondary spot. For me, that’s the situation with Omaha Westside’s do-it-all playmaker Caleb Benning, who is hands-down the best two-way player in the state.
While he’s also a productive receiver on offense, Benning fits in perfectly as a safety in White’s 3-3-5 defense. He has elite instincts and an extremely high football IQ, showing an aptitude for jumping routes and diagnosing the run game. He tracks the ball in the air like a corner and has great hands and ball skills. He fills gaps well in run support and could teach a class on tackling – he’s really elite.
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At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Benning won’t wow you with his frame and he doesn’t necessarily have elite athletic numbers, but he has incredible intangibles and is just an elite, productive football player. Playing at Westside, Benning made plays and affected games in all three phases.
As a senior he recorded 43 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six interceptions and 19 pass breakups. On offense, he caught 45 passes for 602 yards and seven touchdowns, while accumulating over 500 yards as the school’s primary kick and punt returner. The kid’s just a playmaker.
His prep career reminds me a lot of former Omaha Burke star Xavier Watts, who signed with Notre Dame in the 2020 class and is now one of the best safeties in college football. I’m not going to throw that kind of expectation on the kid, but it’s a comp I can’t ignore.
The two were similarly built coming out of high school and while both are good athletes, neither has elite testing numbers. Both were overlooked by higher profile in-state kids in their graduating classes, but were seemingly always the best players on the field throughout their prep careers, playing on and against teams with several FBS players on them. Both played for Paul Limongi and were the best players on state title teams.
Benning had been on Nebraska’s radar for several years. Scott Frost gave him his first offer back on Thanksgiving 2021, and he was a priority target for the last two staffs.
He was quickly regarded as one of the best defensive backs in the region for 2024 and received additional Power Five offers in spring 2022 from Minnesota, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Iowa State, Kansas, Wisconsin and Duke, but his recruitment didn’t take off like his talent would have suggested.
That’s due in large part to injuries limiting his exposure. A back injury cost him two games as a sophomore, although he finished with 55 tackles and four interceptions as a safety, along with 11 catches for 175 yards and four total touchdowns as a receiver.
Benning had to overcome a lack of junior film after a direct hit to the collarbone in his third game cost him 10 games. He returned in time for a classic Class A state title game under the lights at Memorial Stadium and made a major impact. He snagged two first-quarter interceptions off of Zane Flores that led to 10 points. He added 14 catches for 103 yards as Westside edged Gretna 43-41 for the championship.
This past June he underwent a minor cleanup procedure on his collarbone and also had his adenoids removed, which affected his camp season.
Both of Caleb’s parents are former Husker athletes. His father, Damon, was a four-year letterman playing I-back for the Huskers from 1993-1996. His mother, Tanya, was a three-year letterwinner for the Husker soccer team in the 1990s.
Perhaps because of this, many thought it was a foregone conclusion Caleb would simply follow in his parents’ footsteps and end up in Lincoln. This couldn’t have been further from the truth, however.
Benning wasn’t feeling the previous staff and even though he visited three times in 2022, he spent the majority of his recruitment leaning toward other programs in the region.
When Matt Rhule took over after the 2022 season, he reinvigorated the relationship, immediately getting Benning on campus for his inaugural in-state recruiting event on Dec. 4, 2022. Spearheaded by defensive backs coach Evan Cooper, the new staff spent the next several months prioritizing Benning and working to get back into his recruitment.
As the best team in the state chock full of FBS talent, Westside was a place where several regional schools, including Iowa and Notre Dame, made it a point to stop by during the May evaluation period to check in on Benning and others.
Benning took spring visits to Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and he was in Lincoln for the Huskers’ March 24-26 recruiting weekend. As the summer approached, Benning narrowed his focus to Nebraska, Kansas State, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
He was back in Lincoln for an unofficial visit June 9. His relationship with Cooper blossomed and the two grew closer after hanging out for several hours together. That visit was the turning point for Benning and the Huskers. He’d planned on taking an official visit to Nebraska at the end of June, but it was canceled because of a schedule issue.
Once that happened, he pivoted toward another round of unofficial visits. He visited Manhattan for a recruiting event put on by Kansas State coach Chris Klieman July 27, then returned to Lincoln for Nebraska’s July 30 end-of-summer recruiting BBQ that featured over 30 priority recruits from the 2024 and 2025 classes.
The event was a great showcase for the fun, family environment that Matt Rhule has created for players and their families. There was a scavenger hunt around the stadium for recruits while the families stayed behind and did a round of Family Feud. There was also a round of Name That Tune with the recruits and their families. Through the activities, the recruits got to know one another, built a bond, and developed relationships.
Benning loved his time. It allowed him to hang out with a lot of fellow in-state recruits and talk about the new staff and the changes being made in Lincoln. The time on campus also allowed him to spend a lot of time around Tony White and Evan Cooper, elevating their relationships.
Nebraska stayed persistent through summer and into the fall, even as the Huskers’ class began to fill up. They let Benning know he would have a spot whenever he was ready and didn’t push for a decision.
Benning returned to Lincoln for Matt Rhule’s first home game Sept. 16, against Northern Illinois. Being able to watch the defense in person really left an impression. He had established great relationships with Rhule, White and Cooper, but being able to see them coach during a game day left a great impression.
Benning announced his commitment to Nebraska on social media Friday night, Oct. 20, and returned to campus the following day to attend the Northwestern game. He had made up his mind to join the Huskers two weeks before, but wanted to wait to announce his decision before Westside started its playoff run.
Benning was the vocal leader and best player on arguably the best team in state history. Westside finished 13-0 this past season, outscoring its opponents 643-46 and allowing only six points in four playoff games en route to winning its second-straight Class A state title.
Caleb Benning became just the sixth player in state history to be three-time All-Nebraska first-team, joining Bobby Bass (Omaha Benson, 1972-74), Matt Spethman (Lincoln East, 1987-89), Erick Strickland (Bellevue West, 1989-91), Danny Woodhead (North Platte, 2001-03), Calvin Strong (Omaha North, 2012-14) and Zavier Betts (Bellevue West, 2017-19). He was also an honorary team captain for both the World-Herald’s All-Nebraska team and the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State squad.
Benning could play rover, but I see him playing the safety position Omar Brown occupied last year. The frontline guys are pretty established in the secondary heading into 2024, but I think Benning will be a prominent member of the second wave that comes in and takes over when they’re gone.
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