The offseason praise continues to pour in for LSU football safety Ty Benefield. The Boise State transfer was No. 6 in ESPN’s ranking of defenders for the 2026 college football season. Benefield has earned rave reviews since arriving at LSU in January.
ESPN talked to a handful of staffers around the sport to get firsthand accounts for the rankings. Staffers didn’t hold back when discussing expectations for Benefield.
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“One GM at another CFP contender said an NFL scout called him to say he had a first-round grade on Benefield and was shocked he was staying in school. Others have heard similar buzz coming out of Baton Rouge,” wrote ESPN.
Another ACC GM told ESPN that they heard Benefield was an “absolute freak” and “the best player on the field” for LSU in spring practice.
The quotes align with the talk that’s surrounded Benefield all offseason. Benefield has big shoes to fill at LSU, taking the spot left by AJ Haulcy, but by all accounts, Benefield is up to the task. The LSU safety is talked about as a potential All-American and first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Benefield comes to LSU after starting for three years at Boise State. In that time, he recorded over 200 tackles, made 18 TFLs, and broke up 16 passes.
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With Benefield at safety, and the return of DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland at cornerback, LSU’s secondary could be the best in the SEC.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football transfer addition earns major praise from ESPN
