Four-Star DL Benedict Umeh commits to Stanford

Four-star defensive lineman Benedict Umeh of Toronto (ON) Avon Old Farms announced his commitment to Stanford Saturday afternoon.

The 6-foot-5, 265 pounder chose the Cardinal over Penn State, Wisconsin, and others.

Umeh on why he chose Stanford

“The academics were the biggest thing. My family holds academics in the highest regard so it was really hard to say no to a school like Stanford. Having confidence in the football program also played a huge role, Stanford has a great coaching staff right now and looks set to do big things in the coming years. Not to mention the development I would be getting under Coaches Ross K and Bobby April III.”

Relationship with coaching staff + their plan for him

“I’m probably the closest with Coach K, he’s great with a lot of experience and we think along the same lines. He sees me as a 4I, 3 tech, and 5 tech, which is great because that’s exactly where I see myself.”

Scouting Summary

“One of the most physically imposing defensive line prospects in the country whose raw power and burst allow him to make countless plays in the backfield of opposing offenses. Twitched up with tremendous get off and burst off the line of scrimmage. Excellent shock in his hands at the point of attack. Strong ability to stack and shed blockers with his hands for being so new to the sport. Born in Nigeria, moved to Toronto, Canada where he started playing football. Transferred to Avon Old Farms (CT) after his sophomore season. Picked up wrestling after his transfer to Avon Old Farms. Excellent understanding of leverage and ability to manipulate blockers in his favor. Raw as a pass rusher, will need to develop some counter moves once the initial rush is stopped, should come with collegiate coaching. Limitless ceiling for a prospect who is still learning the nuances of the game, best football is ahead of him. One of the older prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle.”

Umeh ranks as the No. 64 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 10 defensive lineman and the No. 1 player in the state of Connecticut.

On3 ranks him higher than the industry, as he ranks as the No. 29 player nationally, the No. 5 defensive lineman, and the top player in Connecticut.

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $109K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.