After hearing Ex-Penn State QB Steven Bench is taking his talents to Tampa today, I decided to read Bench’s ESPN HS Scouting Report & dug into his 2011 Highlight reel. ESPN dubbed Bench as a ‘sleeper’ & the commentary about the offensive scheme utilized at Cairo HS (Bainbridge, GA) during Bench’s era being a drawback may be true. I must point out that while I may not be very ‘high’ on Bench, he did make some great throws/plays. I also threw the Scouting Profile below & noted some plays that impressed me from his highlights. Who knows how it will turn out in the long run, but personally I’m not sold on anything until the W’s fall in line.
YouTube:
– 5:50 – Nice throw in traffic
– 7:35 (also 1:08) – Flashes his wheels
– 8:17 – Shows some speed again
– 9:18 – Strong cross-body throw finding open WR for TD
– 9:43 – Scrambles under pressure from 2, takes the lick while hitting the open WR rolling with him.
* A whole lot of running in short yardage situations
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“ESPN Analyst
Updated 02/01/2012
Bench is a prospect that may be flying under the radar a bit likely due to the offensive scheme he is playing in with limited passing opportunities. Plays in a hybrid Wing-T scheme with limited snaps out of the shotgun and a heavy dose of play action out of the pocket. He is well built with a sturdy frame and adequate height. He displays poise and a calm demeanor in the pocket. Works from the three and five step passing game with quick feet, good drop speed and a quick set up. He shows the arm to make most of the necessary throws at the college level and will flash some impressive intermediate range zip. What we like about Bench is his quick, compact throwing motion. He ball really jumps out of his hand. He carries the ball tight to his chest, but not in a tense manner and the ball consistently comes out smooth and with little wasted motion. Shows RPMs to drive the ball into tight spots. He does not have many downfield opportunities in this scheme. Bench does a very nice job of throwing on the run to both sides. He can throw back against his body and squares his shoulders nicely when attacking the perimeter. As an athlete Bench is a pretty gifted runner with good foot speed for the position. He is a strong runner with quick feet, some agility to change directions and will fight for extra yards. Could be a very good and capable zone read operator. With Bench you have a guy that is limited in his reps in a sophisticated passing game, but has the tools to develop once he gains more knowledge and experience out of this scheme. He is a bit of a sleeper in this class and should likely begin to receive non-BCS level attention.”
Scouting Report via ESPN.com