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Benton Smith was born in Kansas City, Mo., and bounced around in the years that followed, living in Pennsylvania, Iowa and North Carolina, before moving to Lawrence in 2006. Along the way, he lived in Sanford, N.C., for a huge chunk of his life and graduated in 2002 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — an institution, he assures die-hard Kansas fans, which he attended primarily for its in-state tuition and journalism program. Shortly after moving to Lawrence, Smith began working part-time at the Journal-World, initially covering youth sports. Next, he covered Free State High athletics and area sports for the J-W, before taking on the position of sports editor for one of The World Company's weekly newspapers, The Mirror, in Tonganoxie. He worked there from 2008 to 2011, until returning to the Journal-World to lead its high school sports coverage. In 2013, Smith took on a new role with KUsports.com, as a digital editor, blogger and writer and that role changed again in 2016, when Smith was promoted to KU football beat writer.
Recent Stories
Final KU football practice of spring used to set Jayhawks up for summer success
Though it may have seemed from the outside that the Kansas football program’s spring schedule culminated with this past Saturday night’s scrimmage, what with approximately 70 recruits in attendance and a Rick Ross performance capping the evening, Les Miles’ team wasn’t done with spring football quite yet. By Benton Smith
92nd Kansas Relays to feature Jayhawks of present and past
As professional, college and high school athletes flock to Lawrence for the 92nd Kansas Relays, Jayhawks past and present figure to stand out throughout the four-day meet at Rock Chalk Park. By Benton Smith
3-star Texas prep WR Keith Miller III commits to KU football
Keith Miller III, a 6-foot-5 receiver from The Colony, Texas, who made an official visit to KU’s campus this past weekend for the team’s scrimmage and postgame Rick Ross performance, announced on Twitter his decision to commit to head coach Les Miles and KU. By Benton Smith
Les Miles compares 1st KU football team to those he had at LSU and Oklahoma State
For a man who has gone out of his way the past several weeks to reveal as little as possible about what’s going on behind the scenes of his Kansas football program, head coach Les Miles made a relatively startling statement on Monday evening regarding his new team. By Benton Smith
Chris Harris Jr., Todd Reesing impressed by 'energy' around KU football with Les Miles in charge
As two of the more impactful players in KU football history returned to Lawrence for the spring game and a weekend full of reunions, both Todd Reesing and Chris Harris Jr. felt upbeat about the current direction of KU football, under Les Miles. By Benton Smith
Notebook: Several 2020 targets in attendance for Jayhawks' spring game
As important as Saturday’s festivities at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium were for the Jayhawks who were able to show off their skills during the spring game, the weekend itself doubled as a giant stage for the program and its future under new head coach Les Miles.
Running backs rule night, leading offense to 45-7 win at KU's spring game
Spring games aren’t supposed to reveal much of anything about a college football team’s potential — head coaches such as Les Miles would have it no other way. Benton Smith
'Physicality,' postgame concert expected to highlight KU's 1st spring game under Les Miles
Anyone interested in getting a peek at the early stages of Les Miles’ overhaul of the KU football program has the chance to do so at Saturday night’s spring game. By Benton Smith
Daylon Charlot striving for breakthrough season that has eluded WR so far at KU
When Daylon Charlot left college football juggernaut Alabama in 2016, he had extensive on-field plans in store for his next stop. The receiver from Patterson, La., didn’t anticipate it taking him long to become a prominent part of the offense at his new home, the University of Kansas. By Benton Smith
Under center: Les Miles expects old school approach will benefit Jayhawks on some play calls
With any college football coaching regime change comes adjustments for the players who spent the previous season — or longer — studying, practicing and executing a specific set of plays. At the University of Kansas, where Les Miles this past November took over a wobbling program that has won three or fewer games each of the past nine seasons, some modifications will be more drastic than others. By Benton Smith
