Malik Benson Offers Rare Insight Into Dan Lanning And Nick Saban

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban are two of the most respected minds in college football. Former Ducks receiver Malik Benson played for each of them and has one of the most rare perspectives because of it.

Lanning stems from the Saban coaching tree and their relationship goes back more than a decade. Saban hired Lanning as an Alabama Crimson Tide graduate assistant in 2015 and they went on to win the National Championship with the Crimson Tide. Saban has been vocal in his respect for Lanning and vice versa.

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban | Photo credit: Joshua R. Gateley / ESPN Images

Now with the Las Vegas Raiders after being selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, Benson offered a revealing look behind the scenes at the two coaches during a recent interview with Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus.

Spoiler alert, he predicts Oregon will win a national championship "very soon."

For context, Benson played for Alabama in 2023, in Saban's final season of a legendary 17-year tenure that includes six national championships and nine SEC championships. In 2025, Benson played for Lanning and led the Ducks in receiving with 719 yards on 43 receptions.

Oregon Ducks receiver Malik Benson | Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

Q: Malik, you've played for a lot of coaches. What makes Dan Lanning different?

Malik Benson: "His four pillars, the connection, growth, toughness, sacrifice - he really bleeds that. At my other school's - connection - that's a word that every locker room says. But, the way (Lanning) does it is different - whether we do the leadership retreat or, in fall camp, the new guys, we had to sing in front of the team."

"The difference is just little things to get to know about your teammates. The biggest thing for me on Wednesdays, we had what we call a 'get real.' Where we would learn about somebody - would get up there and tell their story. When I know our backup offensive lineman's whole story, then he knows I really care for him. Like if something ever happens, he could always reach out."

Oregon wide receiver Malik Benson speaks to reporters during Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"(Lanning) really emphasizing that connection, I feel like that's why when we were at practice, everybody's just having fun. Cause it's like, the guy to my left, I know everything about him. So if I know everything about him, I'm going to go super hard for him. And he's going to go super hard for me just because we've already sat down and built a relationship outside of football. So football is just going to come easy for us."

"(Lanning) is a young coach too. He likes to crack jokes. My favorite thing is - I like to talk a lot of crap… Coach Lanning, he's a defensive guy. So when I make a big play, I'm gonna let him hear it. When the defense makes a big play on me, he's going to let me hear it. So just that competitive edge that, I can have with him, it just makes practice fun."

"So I feel like that's why Oregon is always going to be Oregon. That's why a national championship will be coming through Oregon very soon."

What makes Oregon coach Dan Lanning different?

Malik Benson’s answer is worth your time.

“That’s why Oregon is always going to be Oregon. That’s why a national championship will be coming through Oregon very soon.”

Full article⬇️ @Leek_leek5 https://t.co/ACTxtCsp2M pic.twitter.com/CZPfq6TKRE
— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) July 23, 2026

Q: Do you feel like there's any similarities between Dan Lanning and Nick Saban?

Malik Benson: "Yeah, for sure. That's one of the reasons why I went to Oregon - because
the good-on-good periods that we do in practice - that were things that we were doing at Alabama. The intensity that coach Lanning has, you could tell, he got some of his ways from coach Saban, and obviously, it's working.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during an open practice ahead of the Orange Bowl at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon on Dec. 27, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Q: What did you learn at Alabama, getting coached by Nick Saban?

Malik Benson: "Going to Alabama, getting coached by one of the greatest coaches of all time (Nick Saban), I really learned that's how you're supposed to practice. If you want the game to look a certain type of way, you’ve got to do it every day in practice."

Q: At Alabama, was there like a moment you were like, ‘Oh my gosh, I am playing for coach Saban right now?'

November 13, 2010; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban watches his team play the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Malik Benson: "I think it was probably my third practice. It was full pads and I didn't have my knee pads in and (Nick Saban) gave me a little chewing and I had to go back inside and change my change into the right pants. So that's when I realized, he's not going to sugarcoat, he's going to be a hard coach on me. But that's the reason why I went to Alabama."

Q: What does a chewing from Nick Saban sound like?

Malik Benson: “It was my first time ever really getting chewed out like that. So, like my heart dropped. But then it's just like funny now because later on in the season, he would just make jokes. Getting to play with him and just getting to see how he moves and then having that relationship with him… If I ever need anything, he always extended out to me… It's just good to always know I got someone like that on my side."

Despite playing one season with the Ducks, Benson leaves behind a notable legacy at Oregon, as he had a key role in helping lead the team to their second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2025. He also became a fan favorite for his gregarious personality and juggling ability.

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