Morton’s Bennett Ranked Indiana’s Top Junior Receiver

HAMMOND – Four years ago, Corderro Bennett was a freshman quarterback at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.
The following summer, Bennett moved in with his grandmother in Hammond and began looking for a high school that would be the right fit.
He chose Morton.
When Governors coach Mac Mishler first saw the 6-foot-5 athlete, he believed Bennett had been miscast at quarterback. Mishler moved him to wide receiver, a decision that has paid significant dividends.
Bennett’s sophomore season was solid, but he had plenty to learn while playing alongside older talent such as Lebron Hill, who now plays at Vanderbilt, Cameron Miller of Kentucky and Martece Smith of UConn.
“Lebron played like I did,” Bennett said. “So I was able to learn a lot from him.”
Now, as Morton prepares for Friday’s season opener at Portage, Bennett has emerged as one of the most highly recruited receivers in Indiana. The 205-pound junior is ranked as the top wide receiver in the state in his class by 247Sports and picked up his 16th Division I offer earlier this week.
“I’ve had several kids who’ve been recruited for D-I football before,” Mishler said. “But I’ve never had someone get this much attention this early.”
Bennett’s list of offers includes UConn, Indiana, Kentucky, Toledo, Purdue, Western Michigan, Auburn, Kansas State, Illinois, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Miami of Ohio, Louisville and Bowling Green.
And the list figures to grow during the coming year. LSU is among the programs that have been in contact with Bennett.
Much of the attention began after Bennett attended an Under Armour camp in Chicago.
“I didn’t really believe it when I got my first (offer),” Bennett said. “It was Kentucky. It excited me, and I just kept working harder and harder to see what can happen.”
That work ethic starts early.
Bennett gets up in the morning to train in his backyard before heading to school, where he works with sophomore quarterback Amari Price.
Price threw 17 touchdown passes and just two interceptions last season. Bennett finished with 422 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as Price learned the position while also sharing the ball with a talented group of receivers.
Price has been playing quarterback since he was 6 years old. How did he win the job?
“I was the only one who could say hike,” Price said with a laugh.
A more experienced Price enters this season with a year of varsity football under his belt, and having Bennett running routes should give the Governors another significant weapon.
“He’s great, phenomenal,” Price said of Bennett. “He’s one of my dawgs. We have the same bond. We work together every chance we get. We’ve just got to keep working and improving. We’ve got some players here. We’re believing in big things this season.”
Morton has lost to suburban power Merrillville in each of the past two postseasons. The Governors will have another opportunity to make their mark when they return to Class 4A Sectional 17 at the end of the regular season.
“We’re excited for this season,” Mishler said. “We’ll go as far as guys like Corderro take us. We just have to work hard to get better every week. If we do that, we have a chance.”
Bennett believes the Governors have the mindset to make that happen.
“We know how to hold each other accountable,” he said. “We have to work on keeping our heads up after a bad play. Everyone makes them. The teams that win are the ones who get past their mistakes.”
For now, Bennett isn’t in a rush to make a college decision.
He wants to focus on having a big junior season, continue developing and see which other programs come calling. There is no timetable for making one of the biggest decisions of his young career.
“I’m not sure yet,” Bennett said. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

​By Steve Hanlon
Heartland Sports Network