Returning to the Gridiron in Texas
(CEDAR HILL, TEXAS) Seven former Cedar Hill High School football team players, all of whom are collegiate wide receivers, will compete in their respective college football bowl games in the State of Texas, including six in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
“We’ve had a really good group of kids come through Cedar Hill,” Cedar Hill Wide Receivers Coach Kevin Benjamin said. “We coach them the right way and set them up for success. It is a great opportunity for these guys to come back close to home and play close enough for their families members to possibly see them play.”
Benjamin said the weight room and playing other sports, such as track and/or powerlifting, are key to the Longhorn receivers’ development.
“Their success is a testament to their work ethic and character,” Benjamin said.
Ironically, the former Longhorn who didn’t play wide receiver in high school will be competing in one of the most important games of bowl season.
Avery Davis Class of 2017
Notre Dame senior wide receiver Avery Davis, a Cedar Hill Class of 2017 Graduate, played quarterback for Cedar Hill from 2014 through 2016. Davis and Notre Dame (10-1) will face top-ranked Alabama (11-0) in the Rose Bowl (College Football Playoffs National Semifinal) on New Year’s Day at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“I said when Avery graduated from Cedar Hill that he could play just about any position on the field,” Benjamin said of Davis, who caught 23 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns for Notre Dame this season.
Davis won’t be the only former Longhorn playing at AT&T Stadium during bowl season.
Oklahoma redshirt junior wide receiver Charleston Rambo will compete in the Cotton Bowl vs. SEC East Champion Florida on December 30. Rambo has been part of four Big 12 Conference Championship Teams during his time in Norman. Both OU and Florida are 8-2 this season. This season, Rambo’s caught 23 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns.
“He is a dominant wide receiver who joined our program as a junior,” Benjamin said.
University of Texas-San Antonio sophomore wide receiver Zakhari Franklin, a Cedar Hill Class of 2019 Graduate, was the Roadrunners’ leading wide receiver this season, with 44 receptions for 579 yards and six touchdowns for UTSA (7-4).
Franklin had his best game of the season – 12 receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Army (9-2) in October.
On Saturday, UTSA will face Louisiana (9-1) in the First Responders Bowl at Gerald Ford Stadium, on the campus of SMU.
Jaylon Jackson Class of 2017
Colorado junior wide receiver Jaylon Jackson, a Cedar Hill Class of 2017 Graduate, is the only former Longhorn receiver to play in a bowl game outside the Metroplex. Jackson and the Buffaloes (4-1) will face Texas (5-3) on December 29 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Jackson has caught two passes for 17 yards and a touchdown (in a 20-10 win over San Diego State and former teammate Kaegun Williams).
Hawaii freshman Quin Bright, a Cedar Hill Class of 2020 Graduate, will face Houston in the New Mexico Bowl on Christmas Eve. This game will be played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. The game was moved from Albuquerque to Frisco, due to COVID-19.
Proud Coach & Parent
On New Year’s Eve morning, Benjamin will have the opportunity to watch his son, Kamdyn Benjamin (a 2019 Cedar Hill Graduate). He’ll play for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6-2) in the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, on the TCU Campus. Tulsa, which finished second in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), will play Mississippi State (3-7).
“It will be nice to have a chance to watch Kamdyn play in the bowl game,” Benjamin said of his son, whom he coached in high school.
Benjamin isn’t the only Tulsa wide receiver from Cedar Hill. Tulsa senior wide receiver Josh Stewart, a Cedar Hill Class of 2016 Graduate, has caught eight passes for 77 yards this season for the Golden Hurricane.
Former Longhorn Receivers To Watch In 2021
At 8-1, the Texas A&M Football Team finished one spot away from qualifying for the College Football Playoff.
Texas A&M senior Camron Buckley, a Cedar Hill Class of 2017 Graduate who graduated from Texas A&M last week, missed the 2020 season due to injury and will therefore miss the Aggies’ Orange Bowl game against North Carolina (8-3) on January 2.
But he will have a chance to help the Aggies contend for an SEC Championship as a redshirt senior in 2021.
Buckley has 62 receptions for 877 yards and four touchdowns through three seasons.
At 2-7, Baylor didn’t play in a bowl game this year, but Baylor junior receiver Josh Fleeks, a Cedar Hill Class of 2018 Graduate, played in the Sugar Bowl as a sophomore and the Texas Bowl as a freshman. He caught 21 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown this season.
Jackson State senior wide receiver/tight end Kyland Richey, a Cedar Hill Class of 2017 Graduate, will have a chance to play football this spring. Jackson State’s new head coach is Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Richey also plays baseball for JSU.
Cedar Hill senior wide receiver Javien Clemmer signed with New Mexico State last week. He’ll have a chance to make an immediate impact for the Aggies.
