QB star Kaiden Bennett comes full circle, rejoins Folsom coaches at Sacramento State
Father and son stopped by the old ball fields in Washoe County recently in Nevada to reflect and forecast.
Kaiden Bennett first carried a football on this turf located at Sparks Middle School some 13 years ago. He was a little lad with a bulbous helmet that made him look like a bobble head, though the football looked right in place as Bennett zipped around defenders. Derek Bennett coached his kid then, imploring the young blur with all manner of zest to, “go for it!”
Bennett is going for it again.
The Sacramento Bee’s 2018 Player of the Year out of Folsom High School has transferred from Nevada to Sacramento State, site of some of his greatest gridiron conquests. He explained why his third transfer is the right one and final one — and that he is not an unsettled vagabond quarterback.
This move will also be a reunion of sorts for Bennett. Sac State head coach Troy Taylor broke down Bennett’s passing technique in camps — at the Passing Academy — after the family moved from Reno before his freshman season. Taylor in his first season last fall led Sac State to its first Big Sky Conference championship.
Taylor’s assistant head coach at Sac State is Kris Richardson, who was the Folsom head coach when Bennett led the charge to two Sac-Joaquin Section championships at Hornet Stadium and went on to earn game MVP honors in winning back-to-back CIF State DIvision I-AA banners. In his Folsom stint, Bennett passed for 8,912 yards and a remarkable 121 touchdowns. He also rushed for 2,137 yards and 38 touchdowns for teams that went a combined 44-2.
“I feel like this is coming home, to Sacramento, where it feels right,” Bennett said. “It’s exciting. It really feels like a second chance. It feels good and it feels right. Dad and I stopped by that field in Sparks where it all started for me, when I first played, and we talked about my dreams of playing college football, how far I’d come. We reflected on life and football. We needed that clarity of what I need to do next.”
Bennett graduated early from Folsom in December of 2018 and enrolled at Boise State as a full-scholarship signee in January 2019. By the end of last summer, Bennett transferred to Nevada, based in Reno. It was where he grew up, and it is where his father was diagnosed with grim news: prostate cancer.
Bennett said he transferred to Nevada not because he didn’t earn the starting job as a true freshman at Boise State, contrary to social media fan speculation, but because he felt obligated to be with his father. Derek, who turns 50 in August, had surgery in March and has been deemed cancer-free by his doctor, he said.
“When Dad told me he had cancer, it really hit me hard, and I cried,” Bennett said. “He’s such a tough person, a stand-up guy, and I never thought he’d get sick, because to me, he’s like Superman. I could tell something was wrong. I just had that feeling. I wanted to be near him, with him, especially if the cancer got really bad. If it turned out to be his final days, I wanted to at least be there.”
Derek said the cancer scare, “was my wake-up call, because I didn’t think I had cancer and only went in because that’s what you’re supposed to do at this age. Had I not gone in, cancer would have taken over my body and probably killed me by now. We have no family history of cancer. It was scary.
“I knew it shook up Kaiden. Told him last July, and he acted like he was strong, but he was upset. Told him not to worry, that I’ll be OK, but he was set on it, so he packed up and drove home to Reno.”
Derek added, “I told my son that he gave up Boise State to be with me and now it’s time for him to do what he needs to, to go be happy. He’s 19 years old. He got to Boise at 17. At 18, he made his first real big decision, to transfer to Nevada. That’s a lot for a young guy. At Sac State, I know Kaiden will be in good hands with Troy and Kris. We’re so excited.”
But how soon can Bennett play? If he gains waiver clearance from Nevada, he may play this coming season.
And when can the Hornets kick off? The coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of football in the country in a holding pattern, including the Big Sky Conference. Bennett could be eligible to play right away for the Hornets, thanks to an NCAA rule that allows a one-time transfer from an FBS school to an FCS program like Sacramento State. As he never suited up for either of the first two schools, he has four years of eligibility remaining.
For now, Bennett is eager to get his physical, to meet his new teammates and old coaches.
“Troy and Kris are such great coaches, and I know their system at Sac State will fit me,” Bennett said. I can’t wait.”.
When Taylor took over at Sac State before the 2019 season, the Hornets had no Folsom High products on the roster. They now have nine, with Bennett the spectacularly fast and fun of the lot.
“First of all, Kaiden is an incredible kid who lights up a room when he comes in with his smile and personality,” Taylor said. “He’s a hard worker, a great runner, a great thrower, and he’s tough. Those are all the things we’re looking for. We feel great about the quarterbacks we have. When you have the opportunity to add some depth and competition, a known commodity, you do it.”
Sac State also added another one-time Bee Player of the Year in defensive back Trey Udoffia, who earned Bee Defensive Player of the Year honors while at Del Oro in 2015. Udoffia played at Colorado in the Pac-12 and comes to Sac State as a graduate transfer. Sac State’s defense was paramount in helping the Hornets win a share of the Big Sky last season under coordinator Andy Thompson.
“We’re excited to have him and we love him,” Taylor said of Udoffia. “We’re familiar with him from playing against him when he was at Del Oro and watching him. With Kaiden and Trey, we’re getting two giys who come in and help your program.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 12:36 PM.