Notre Dame Is A Dream Come True For Preferred Walk-On Cody Benjamin
Notre Dame added a preferred walk-on to the class of 2018 on Thursday when Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep offensive tackle/long snapper Cody Benjamin announced his commitment via Twitter.
Benjamin, who also started at defensive end for Berkeley Prep, said after being raised a Notre Dame fan, the decision to leave Florida for South Bend was a no-brainer.
“I grew up every weekend watching the games with my dad,” Benjamin said. “Ever since then, Notre Dame has been a dream school. I visited a few times and I just knew it was the place I wanted to be.”
Those visits helped Benjamin realize that Notre Dame was the place for him, but it didn't take long.
“As soon as you step on campus and see the atmosphere and the culture of the school, there’s nothing else like it in the world,” Benjamin explained. “You just want to be a part of it so badly.”
Playing three different positions in high school, Benjamin rarely leaves the field. While he’ll come to South Bend on the offensive side of the ball, Benjamin said he’s open to any position.
“I think I’ll go in as a tackle and they’ll try to put about 50 pounds on me,” Benjamin stated. “I’ll do anything it takes to get on the field.”
So, how did the Notre Dame commitment come to be for Benjamin?
The Berkeley Prep standout said he heard from Irish director of player personnel Dave Peloquin, who told him that head coach Brian Kelly and offensive line coach Jeff Quinn would be at his school soon to visit his teammate, five-star offensive tackle Nick Petit-Frere.
Benjamin took full advantage of the opportunity to meet the Irish coaching duo.
“I introduced myself to them and they seemed excited about me,” Benjamin said. “The next day, I got the phone call from Coach Peloquin that I had the spot.”
When that call came, Benjamin said his parents were just as excited as he was.
“We were pretty emotional,” Benjamin told Blue & Gold Illustrated. “They were very excited to hear the news. They couldn’t more proud or happy for me, and I just appreciate everything they’ve done for me.”
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