LAS VEGAS — Former Hutchinson Community College standout Malik Benson has earned a spot on the Las Vegas Raiders' initial 53-man roster.
Benson, a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, was among the wide receivers retained by Las Vegas as the team finalized its roster Sunday ahead of the regular season.
The Lansing, Kansas, native began his college career at Hutchinson, where he developed into one of the most productive receivers in Blue Dragon history during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Benson finished his Hutchinson career with a school-record 2,207 receiving yards on 103 receptions. His 21 touchdown catches rank second in program history behind only Cordarrelle Patterson's 24.
Benson also averaged 96 receiving yards per game during his 23 games with the Blue Dragons, the second-best career mark in program history, and averaged 21.4 yards per reception.
His breakout season came in 2021, when Benson earned first-team NJCAA Division I All-America honors. He finished with 43 receptions for 1,229 yards and 11 touchdowns and established himself as the nation's top-ranked junior college prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Benson transferred to Alabama for the 2023 season and appeared in all 14 games, including six starts. He caught 13 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown for the Crimson Tide.
He moved to Florida State in 2024 and started all 12 games, finishing second on the team with 25 receptions and 311 receiving yards while adding a touchdown.
Benson completed his college career at Oregon in 2025 and turned in his best FBS season. He led the Ducks with career highs of 43 receptions, 716 receiving yards and six touchdown catches while playing in all 15 games and making nine starts.
He averaged 16.7 yards per reception and had five catches of at least 40 yards. Benson also contributed on special teams, returning nine punts for 161 yards and a touchdown.
His performance earned him All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.
Benson finished his three FBS seasons with 81 receptions for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns in 41 games.
Las Vegas selected the 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver with the 195th overall pick in the sixth round of the NFL draft.
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