If a player can win over a fanbase in the span of about 30 seconds in a spring game, then Trey Benson likely did just that midway through the first quarter of Saturday's Florida State spring game.

First, Benson took a toss from quarterback Tate Rodemaker and looked like he might get stopped immediately by safety Jarques McClellion, who read the play perfectly. But just as McClellion approached, Benson delivered a quick stutter-step to his left before breaking back outside to the right. Then he used a burst of speed to pick up 17 yards before being pushed out of bounds.

On the very next play, Benson took a handoff up the middle, found no running room but again broke outside for a big gain -- this time for 22 yards down inside the 10-yard line.

Two plays. Thirty-nine yards. A couple of broken tackles. And a whole lot of speed.

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"Trey's just fast," FSU defensive end Jared Verse said with a smile. "Trey's just really fast. If Trey gets to the corner, he's gone. ... He's fast, he runs hard. He don't shy away from contact at all."

Benson, who transferred in this January from Oregon, has been impressive throughout the entire month of spring practice. But Saturday was his first chance to show his talents in front of FSU fans inside Doak Campbell Stadium, and he didn't disappoint.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder led all rushers in the game with 77 yards on seven carries.

Perhaps the only person who wasn't satisfied with Benson's Florida State debut was Benson himself. As much as he enjoyed the experience, he said he would have liked to have had a few more carries. And he also believes he could have done more with the carries he did receive.

"I was just excited to be out there with my teammates," Benson said. "I feel I did good, but I've gotta score on some of those runs."

In one way, Saturday's spring game was the culmination of a journey for the Mississippi native. After originally signing with Oregon in 2020, Benson went down with a catastrophic knee injury during his freshman year, and he only saw a handful of snaps in 2021.

So this was a chance to show that he is fully recovered and ready to finally make an impact on the college level.

"I think a lot of people lost sight of who Trey was, and how Trey operated," said wide receiver Mycah Pittman, who also transferred to FSU from Oregon in the offseason. "I think he needed a fresh start, and him being here is a fresh start."

"He balled out today," FSU quarterback Jordan Travis said. "It's special to see someone that comes to work every single day with a positive mindset. He brings that energy every single day to practice. So it's no surprise today.

"I'm happy for him that he's back on the field balling. It's a blessing to have him here. We're all very thankful."

In another way, this might have only been the beginning.

Florida State coach Mike Norvell, who recruited Benson from the time he was in high school, pointed out that the redshirt sophomore is still getting back to his old self physically. And Benson also has had to learn a new offense since arriving in Tallahassee.

"I'm excited for Trey," Norvell said. "We've talked about it since he got here in January -- just what I believe he's going to bring to the room. And he's still growing. At the end of the day, coming off the injury, building that confidence, it's been a process for him. Even throughout spring ball.

"But I think you got a preview of the explosiveness that he has."

As much as he enjoyed putting on a show for Florida State's fans, the spectators inside Doak Campbell Stadium who mattered the most to Benson were his family members, who made the seven-hour drive from Mississippi.

For most of the time he was in Oregon, the entire college football world was either shut down -- or attendance was severely limited -- by the coronavirus pandemic. So Benson's mother and other relatives hadn't gotten the opportunity to watch him compete in person since he was racking up 3,616 yards and 48 touchdowns in his final two high school seasons.

That changed on Saturday.

"I think the last time they've seen me play was actually in high school," Benson said. "Every time I came to the sideline, I looked at my mom. They motivated me even more."

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Talk about this story with other Florida State football fans in the Tribal Council