Caleb Benenoch talks UCLA visit, leader

What kid wouldn’t want to take in a game at the Mecca of college football, the Rose Bowl?

Count 2013 Katy (TX) Seven Lakes offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch as one of those kids who did -- the coveted mauler made his way out to see the rising UCLA program under Jim Mora, Jr. suffer a loss to Stanford.

Despite the loss, Benenoch came away impressed with multiple facets of the program:

The visit was really cool. I had a lot of fun. For me, the coaching staff and players stood out the most. They were all cool guys. It definitely stacked up to the other visits I’ve taken.

For any prospect straying across the country, developing some type of familiarity can be important. For Benenoch, a couple fellow Texans helped him feel right at home ($):

It was a lot of fun. I got to hang out with players like Simon Goines. He’s from Keller, Texas, so we had a lot to talk about since we’re both Texas guys. Their center is also a Texas guy, and there were lots of people I can relate to.
I’m glad I took it. I got to see a lot of things I’d wanted to see and talked to the coaches. I got a good feel from taking that visit. I’m happy I took it.

Some believe that the current offensive linemen may not be the biggest factor in Benenoch’s recruitment by UCLA -- that would be the seven other offensive lineman the Bruins already have committed for the 2013 class.

Like most top athletes, though, the Seven Lakes product says that he’s not worried about the other prospects already set to head to Westwood:

With the division I play in in high school and the competition I play, going out there and competing for a spot isn’t something that bothers me. You’ve got to earn your spot every week. It doesn’t matter how many people they get.

Surely music to the ears of UCLA coaches and fans.

After an official visit to Baylor next weekend, Benenoch will be ready to make his decision about a week later. He shared some perspective on where his stands in the process:

I’ll be keeping my favorites to myself for now. But I’ll be picking from UCLA, Texas, Baylor and OU. It’s going to come down to a combination of things for me, including the family atmosphere, how I fit in with the players, how I fit in with the coaches and the academic prestige.

Unseated briefly, Texas had been the leader for the 6-6, 320-pounder since offering him back in June.

Are the Longhorns still in the best position to land Benenoch? Only he knows, but fans of each of those four schools won’t have to wait long to find out.