Why 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk reminds college coach of ex-Bear Earl Bennett

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Brandon Aiyuk brings an undeniable elite level of speed to the 49ers offense.

His explosiveness and unique measurables have drawn plenty of comparisons from Hall of Famers to NFL backups. For former Arizona State wide receivers coach Charlie Fisher, Aiyuk reminds him of another NFL wideout whose quickness jumped off the screen.

“No. 1, he’s built like a running back,” Fisher told The Athletic. “He played running back in high school. If I compared him to a guy I coached, he’s a lot like Earl Bennett. I coached Earl Bennett at Vandy and he played six years for the Bears. Brandon has got a touch more twitch, but he has a great, strong lower body.

“A good, strong background as a running back means he understands angles and awareness. He knows how fast he is. Some guys just know how to play the game.”

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Bennett is almost identical in size to Aiyuk, outside of being an inch taller. Bennett also returned punts during his college career.

Aiyuk had many college coaches hoping he would become a defensive player, but ASU gave him a chance to join the receiving corps and he took it.

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For 49ers fans, hopefully he can make the same kind of impact in the Bay Area.

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