Vanderbilt running back Deago Benson enters NCAA transfer portal

Vanderbilt running back Deago Benson has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Benson did not see any time on the field this year for the Commodores.

A 6-foot-1 running back coming out of Midlothian, Tex., Benson was part of the Commodores’ 2023 recruiting class. Benson was a three-star prospect and the No. 81 running back in the class, but was unable to get time on the field behind running backs like Sedrick Alexander and Patrick Smith, among others.

During his high school playing days, Benson ran for 3,350 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career at Midlothian. Outside of football, Benson also ran track for his school. He recorded a 10.85 personal best in the 100-meter dash.

Vanderbilt in the transfer portal

Benson becomes the second player to enter the transfer portal at Vanderbilt since the spring portal window opened up. Prior to Benson, offensive tackle Leyton Nelson put his name into the transfer portal. Before this window, the Commodores had seen a handful of players leave.

From the end of the season to late January, Vanderbilt saw multiple players enter their name into the transfer portal, such as quarterbacks AJ Swann, Ken Seals and Walter Taylor, as well as Smith, among others.

“We’re not set up to to be transactional, and that’s part of design and intentional, but it’s also no different than us building the stadium,” head coach Clark Lea said in November, according to The Tennessean. “We’re creating opportunities and resources for this program, to modernize it in health and to adjust and adapt to what college football’s becoming.”