Bennett quite a catch for Vanderbilt

Nobody ever said college football recruiting is an exact science.

There are blue chippers who never develop. There are walk-ons who become starters.

Somewhere in between is somebody like Earl Bennett.

Roll back to the winter of 2005, and Bennett had just finished his senior season as a wide receiver/defensive back for Birmingham (Ala.) West End High. He had 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, which isn't overwhelming for a receiver.

Rivals.com rated him as the 18th-best player in the state of Alabama. Kentucky was recruiting him hard as a defensive back, and that's where Bennett initially committed.

When Bennett changed his mind and signed with Vanderbilt, maybe because it was closer to home, maybe because the Commodores wanted him as a receiver, it didn't seem like a major recruiting loss.

But now, when you look at the names of the 17 Alabama high school products rated ahead of Bennett, when you see that Rivals rated him as three-star recruit, which is basically average, you can't help but laugh.

Because almost at the end of his junior season - possibly his last in college - Bennett sits atop the SEC's all-time list for most passes caught in a career with 228 receptions and counting.

It would be easy for Bennett to chirp "I told you so" to recruiters who underrated him, easy for him to play with a chip on his shoulder.

"I'm just honored to be mentioned with all the great receivers they've had in this league," said Bennett, who has 67 catches for 739 yards and four touchdowns heading into today's game at Tennessee, where he caught the game-winning touchdown pass two seasons ago.

In his low-key attitude and his consistency - he's on the verge of a third straight 70-reception season, and no other SEC player has had even two straight - Bennett's lunch-pail demeanor leans more toward the Colts' Marvin Harrison than the Bengals' Chad Johnson.

"What Earl has done in less than three years as far as number of catches is pretty remarkable," Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said.

What's even more amazing is that many receivers with outstanding stats have the good fortune to play with the same quarterback for most of their careers.

Bennett has had to play with three quarterbacks in three seasons - NFL first-round draft choice Jay Cutler in 2005, Chris Nickson last season, and Nickson and Mackenzi Adams this year.

"All those quarterbacks know it's in their best interest to throw it to Earl," Johnson said.

The 6-1, 200-pound Bennett has excelled in two areas - route running and catching. He's always where he's supposed to be, and he rarely drops a catchable ball.

"If you can run a great route, no matter how fast you are, it usually gets you open," Bennett said. "That's why we practice so much route running before and after practice."

And those hands? He owes it all to his brothers, who did more than just play catch with Earl. They tried to throw the ball as hard as they could to see if they could make him drop it.

"They developed my hands, because somehow I managed to catch those passes," Bennett said.

This season, Johnson has had to be more creative to get Bennett open. After two seasons of getting burned by Bennett, there have been a lot of opponents trying to get payback on him.

Johnson has lined Bennett in the slot and in the backfield. He's put him in motion. The whole point is to keep the defense guessing and sometimes find that mismatch.

"If Bennett gets lined up on a linebacker or a safety, that puts you at a disadvantage," said Kentucky coach Rich Brooks, who hopes Bennett goes pro after burning the Wildcats for 32 catches for 388 yards and six touchdowns the last three seasons.

With Bennett now involved in the running game - he's taking handoffs in motion - Tennessee's defense has one more thing to worry about.

"Earl's not the fastest guy, but he's a pretty big guy who uses his body to shield people from the ball," Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo said.