Football
Benny Snell Jr. - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 26

BennySnell Jr.

  • position Running Back
  • height 5-11
  • Weight 223
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Westerville, Ohio
  • High school Westerville Central
Career
  • Started in 27 of 39 career games, including 26 straight
  • Broke or tied 14 school records
  • Holds the school record for career rushing yards (3,873), total TDs (48), rushing TDs (48) and 100-yard games (19)
  • Also holds the school record for points in a season (116 in ’17), TDs in a season (19 in ’17), rushing TDs in a season (19 in ’17), consecutive games with a rushing TD (6 in ’17) and rushing yards by a sophomore (1,333 in ’17)
  • In 2018, broke the UK career rushing record of 3,835 yards held by Sonny Collins from 1972-75
  • Ranks second in UK career rushing attempts (737)
  • Ranks third on UK’s all-time scoring list (290)  … Just the second non-kicker in school history to reach the 200-point club along with Randall Cobb
  • Ranks No. 4 in school history in best average per rushing attempt in a career (5.30)
  • Recorded his 40th career TD in just 31 games, the second fastest to do so in SEC history
  • His 3,873 rushing yards rank 12th in SEC history and fifth before a senior season
  • Ranks third in SEC history in rushing touchdowns
  • Trails only Herschel Walker (49) for the most rushing TDs prior to his senior season in SEC history
  • Joined Herschel Walker as the only two players in SEC history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons
  • First player in school history with three 1,000-yard seasons (1,091 in 2016; 1,333 in 2017; 1,449 in 2018)
  • First player in program history to have four touchdowns in a game twice in a career (vs. New Mexico State in 2016 and vs. Mississippi State in 2018)
  • First-team All-SEC in 2018, second-team All-SEC in 2017 and Freshman All-SEC in 2016
  • Earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week in 2017 and was twice named SEC Freshman of the Week in 2016
2018 – Junior (Team Captain)
  • Second-Team All-America (Walter Camp Football Foundation, College Football News, USA Today, American Football Coaches Association, Athlon)
  • Third-Team All-America (Associated Press)
  • First-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, Athlon, ESPN)
  • Doak Walker Award Semifinalist
  • Maxwell Award Semifinalist
  • Midseason All-America Team (CBS Sports; AP, The Athletic, second team)
  • Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List
  • College Football Performance Awards – Player of the Year Watch List
  • College Football Performance Awards – Performer of the Week – Honorable Mention
  • 2018 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List
  • Rushed for 1,449 yards and 16 touchdowns in 13 games
  • His 1,449 rushing yards rank second only behind Moe Williams’ 1,600 yards in 1995 in UK history in a single season
  • Helped lead UK to a 10-3 record, the team’s best regular season in 41 years, since the 1977 team went 10-1
  • Named MVP of the VRBO Citrus Bowl after rushing 26 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-24 win … The 144 yards marked his third straight game with 100 or more rushing yards
  • Second in the SEC and sixth nationally in rushing yardage (1,449)
  • Second in the SEC and 12th nationally in rushing yards per game (111.5)
  • Second in the SEC and ninth nationally in rushing TDs (16)
  • Third in the SEC and 36th nationally in all-purpose yards per game (119.54)
  • Third player in UK history with 3,000 or more rushing yards, joining Sonny Collins and Moe Williams … the 65th player in SEC history to join the 3,000-yard club
  • Had 169 yards in the win over Vanderbilt, the fifth-most ever by a Wildcat against the Commodore … On UK’s game-winning drive in the fourth quarter against VU, he gained 74 of the 80 yards … The drive was capped by his own seven-yard scoring run
  • Rushed 25 times for 165 yards and four touchdowns in the win over No. 14 Mississippi State, tying the school record for TDs in a game … The 165 rushing yards tied the school record for most against a ranked SEC opponent, also Dicky Lyons Sr. 165 rushing yards vs. Tennessee in 1967
  • In the win over Florida, ran for 175 yards on 27 carries … Became just the fourth player in the SEC since 2000 to rush for 175 or more yards at The Swamp, joining Travis Stephens, Marcus Lattimore and Trent Richardson … It’s the most rushing yards ever by a UK player against Florida
  • First-Team Preseason All-SEC (Coaches, Media, Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Street and Smith’s, Lindy’s)
2017 – Sophomore
  • Associated Press All-SEC First Team
  • Coaches’ All-SEC Second Team
  • Phil Steele All-SEC Second Team
  • Maxwell Award Watch List
  • Doak Walker Award Watch List
  • Started in all 13 games
  • Led the team in carries (262), rushing yards (1,333), rushing TDs (19) and rushing yards per game (102.5)
  • Ended the regular season leading the SEC in rushing yards (1,318) on a league-high 256 carries with an SEC-high 18 touchdowns
  • Ranked third in the SEC in rushing yards per game (102.5), third in scoring (8.9), second in scoring TDs (8.9) and fifth in all-purpose yards (107.1)
  • Ranked fifth nationally in rushing TDs (19), ninth in total TDs (19), 23rd in total points scored (114), 18th in scoring per game (8.9), 25th in rushing yards (1,333), and 26th in rushing yards per game (102.5)
  • In the last five regular-season games, totaled 777 yards and 12 touchdowns on 123 carries (6.3 yards per carry) … the only other SEC players to ever accomplish those numbers or better in a five-game span are LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Auburn’s Tre Mason
  • In just 26 career games, has 2,424 rushing yards which ranks eighth all-time in program history … Needs 71 yards move up to No. 7 with Boom Williams (2,511 from 2014-16)
  • Ninth player in school history to reach 2,000 in his career
  • 19th player in SEC history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards prior to his junior season
  • First player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons … Ran for 1,091 last year and had 1,333 this season
  • Holds the school records for points in a season (116), TDs in a season (19), rushing TDs in a season (19), rushing TDs in a career (32) and rushing yards by a sophomore (1,333)
  • Just the third player in SEC history to have at least 1,000 rushing yards and at least 13 rushing TDs in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, joining Herschel Walker (Georgia, 1980-1981) and Knowshon Moreno (Georgia, 2007-2008)
  • Only the third player in SEC history to have at least 2,424 yards and at least 31 career rushing touchdowns before his junior season, joining Georgia’s Herschel Walker and LSU’s Leonard Fournette
  • Only SEC player since 2000 to have at least 116 rushing yards and at least three rushing TDs in three consecutive games
  • Had seven 100-yard games this season (tied for second in school history with Moe Williams) and 12 in his career (fourth in school history)
  • First player in school history with at least five 100- yard rushing games in back-to-back seasons
  • First player in school history with 10 or more career 100-yard rushing games prior to his junior season
  • Named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the league office and SEC Offensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness for his play vs. Tennessee
  • Athon Sports Preseason All-SEC Third Team
  • Preseason All-SEC Third Team (Coaches)
2016 – Freshman
  • Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-American
  • True Freshman All-American by ESPN and 247Sports
  • Freshman All-SEC by the league coaches and Athlon Sports
  • Second-team All-SEC pick by ProFootballFocus.com
  • Two-time SEC Freshman of the Week
  • Leading freshman scorer in the SEC with 78 points
  • Set six UK freshman records, including most rushing touchdowns in a game (4), most rushing yards by a freshman (1,091), most rushing touchdowns by a freshman (13), most total touchdowns by a freshman (13), most 100-yard rushing games (5) and most rushing yards by a freshman in a single game (192)
  • Finished the season with 1,091 rushing yards, a UK freshman record … Moe Williams held the previous record with 928 yards in 1993
  • The 1,091 rushing yards ranks sixth on the UK single-season rushing list
  • First freshman in school history to top 1,000 yards rushing
  • Had 13 rushing touchdowns (a UK freshman record) and tied for second-most in school history … Moe Williams set the record with 17 rush TDs in 1995
  • Had five 100-yard games which is the UK freshman record, breaking the previous record of four held by Chris Jones in 1979 and Moe Williams in 1993
  • Tied for second in the SEC and ranked 30th nationally in rushing TDs (13)
  • Second on the team and ninth in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 83.9
  • Became the first UK player with a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games since Derrick Locke in 2010 (Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee) … The first freshman to do so since Randall Cobb in 2008
  • Became the first freshman in school history with 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games
  • First freshman with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Derick Logan on Oct. 26 – Nov. 9 – Nov. 16, 1996
  • Averaged 10.9 yards per carry against Austin Peay, the best average for a Wildcat with at least 14 carries since Mark Higgs averaged 13.7 per attempt vs. Ole Miss in 1987
  • Made his first career start vs. Georgia, rushing 21 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns
  • His 192 yards rushing yards at Missouri set a school record for most rushing yards by a freshman in a single game … The previous high was Derick Logan’s 186 yards against Mississippi State on Nov. 9, 1996
  • The 192 rushing yards tie for the ninth most in a single game in school history and the most since Rafael Little rushed for 198 yards vs. Vanderbilt on Nov. 12, 2005
  • Had a career-high 38 carries at Missouri, the most since Derick Logan had 41 attempts vs. Mississippi State in 1996
  • Led UK in rushing with 19 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown in the win over Mississippi State
  • Rushed 20 times for 94 yards in the win over Vanderbilt … On the last drive of the game, had 44 yards on eight carries
  • Rushed a game-high 16 times for 73 yards and the game-winning TD in the win over South Carolina
  • His four touchdowns vs. New Mexico State tied the school record for most rushing touchdowns in a single game, joining four previous Wildcats to reach that mark … He is only the second freshman to do it, tying Don Phelps’ four scores vs. Michigan State on Nov. 2, 1946
High School
  • Three-star recruit who ranks in the top 50 running backs nationally by every major recruiting service
  • Rated as the No. 41 running back nationally and No. 27 junior in Ohio by 247sports
  • Rivals ranks him the No. 38 prospect in Ohio
  • Helped lead Westerville Central to two Ohio Capital Conference titles, three straight Division I playoff appearances and an overall 35-6 record during his prep career
  • Totaled 1,826 rushing yards, 264 yards receiving and 29 touchdowns as a senior
  • Ran for 241 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns in a single game
  • Named OCC Cardinal Division Player of the Year and AP All-Central District Offensive Player of the Year
  • Two-time first-team All-Central District and Division I All-Ohio
  • Earned an invitation to the 2016 Ohio High Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Classic
  • Equally impressive his junior season when he compiled 2,077 rushing yards, 291 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns (26 rushing and two receiving)
  • Coached by John Magistro
  • Chose UK over Iowa, Cincinnati, Boston College, Toledo and West Virginia
Personal
  • Born in Columbus, Ohio
  • Son of April and Benjamin Snell
  • Benjamin was a running back at Ohio Northern and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 1998 … His great uncle Matt Snell was a running back for the New York Jets, helping the Jets win the 1969 Super Bowl after rushing for 121 on 30 carries in the 16-7 upset of the Baltimore Colts
  • Majoring in pre-media arts studies
     
Benny Says
  • His nickname is “Snell Ya Later”
  • His favorite meal is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with banana
  • He chose Kentucky because he loves the atmosphere and the city of Lexington
  • One word to describe him on the field is “learner”
  • Other than playing in the NFL, his dream job is to own his own business

Community Cats

  • Volunteered to read books to elementary school students on two occasions (2016)
Read more