Chico Bennett Jr.

HONORS
2024 – Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist … Shrine Bowl 1,000 preseason watchlist.  2023 – All-ACC Academic Team … Featured on the Wuerffel Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and the senior bowl watch lists … Phil Steele Preseason All-ACC Second Team … Athlon Sports Preseason All-ACC Third Team Defense … Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team nominee … ACC Honor Roll.  2022 – All-ACC Honorable Mention … ACC Player of the Week twice (9/26 & 10/24) … Second Team VaSID All-State.

AT VIRGINIA
2024 – Recorded his first career interception in 24-14 win over Boston College (10/5) … the pick was the first by a UVA defensive lineman since David Dean’s against Virginia Tech in 2014 … matched a career-high with eight tackles against Maryland (9/14).  2023 – Appeared in 11 of UVA’s 12 games … recorded 34 tackles (15 solo) and 4.5 TFLs … season-high eight tackles (3 solo) at then No. 11 Louisville (11/9). Also recorded a TFL.  2022 – Started final nine games of the season at UVA’s bandit position … led the UVA with seven sacks, the most by a Cavalier since Jordan Mack (7.5) in 2019 … five of his seven sacks came against ACC opponents … ninth UVA defensive linemen ever to win ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice in the same season … totaled 34 tackles (17 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries (co-led team), forced two fumbles (co-led team) and recovered a fumble .. in first game against former school Georgia Tech (10/20) made career-high seven tackles and recorded his second multi-sack effort of the season en route to ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors … first multi-sack game came at Syracuse (9/23), added four tackles and recovered a fumble in the contest … named to 2022-23 ACC Honor Roll.  2021 – Did not appear in any games.

PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Enrolled at UVA in spring of 2021 after spending the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Georgia Tech … appeared in 15 career games for the Yellow Jackets … led all freshman GT tacklers with 17 overall (12 solo) and 0.5 tackles-for-loss in 2019 before suffering a season-ending injury … set his career high of four solo tackles in his first collegiate appearance at then-No. 1 Clemson in 2019.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL
Played final two prep seasons at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn. after spending first two high-school campaigns at Rock Ridge H.S. in Ashburn, Va. … was named first-team all-state as a junior in 2017  and 2018 as a senior … earned first-team all-district and all-region recognition as a junior and senior … averaged 2.0 sacks per game as a junior and 1.0 sacks per contest as a senior … helped lead Battle Ground to a 12-3 record and appearance in Tennessee Division II Class AA state championship game as a senior … selected to participate in East vs. West Tennessee all-star game … four-year letterwinner and three-year starter across two schools … coached by Roc Batten (Battle Ground Academy) and Tony Talent (Rock Ridge) … also lettered in basketball and track … a member of a military family, Chico was born in Killeen, Texas and lived in Petersburg, Va., Germany, Leavenworth, Kan., Elizabethtown, Ky., Fairfax, Va. and Ashburn, Va. before moving away from home to attend Battle Ground Academy, a prestigious college preparatory school … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals … son of Marcie and Chico Bennett Sr. … father, Chico Sr., played football at Hawaii (1996-98) … mother, Marcie, played basketball at Texas State from (1992-97) … uncle, Leon Moore, played football at Tennessee State (1963-66) and went on to play three seasons in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams (1967-69)… earning a Masters degree in Higher Education.