Making the Case: Four-star lineman Rayshaun Benny
Rayshaun Benny has been sidelined with a knee injury, so the four-star offensive tackle has had ample time to think through his recruitment, and this past weekend he dropped his top four.
Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State made the cut for the Oak Park, Mich., standout, who said he could make his commitment in the coming weeks.
Michigan seems like a safe bet to land Benny since he lives less than an hour from the Ann Arbor campus and the Wolverines have been aggressively trying to land the in-state standout for a long while. The Wolverines want Benny as a defensive tackle, and he’s a must-get with Damon Payne leaving for Alabama.
Michigan State is making up ground and emerging as well, especially with coach Mel Tucker coming to town and being more aggressive on the recruiting trail. And then Penn State could be a family favorite of Benny’s, with Kentucky also seriously involved after landing five-star lineman Justin Rogers out of Oak Park last cycle.
Analysts and publishers from the Rivals network take a closer look at where one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the country will land.
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STING FACTOR: Antonio Brown's decommitment from South Carolina | Branden Jennings parts ways with FSU
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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KENTUCKY
“This is a bit of a mystery. The Wildcats have been recruiting Benny for as long as any school that has been involved with him, and Steve Clinkscale has a great track record of reeling in big-time players from Michigan who you ordinarily would not guess Kentucky might land. I've heard the Wildcats have been optimistic about Benny all along, so I think they would be top two or three at worst, but I haven't quite been confident enough to pull the trigger on a FutureCast.” - Justin Rowland, CatsIllustrated.com
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MICHIGAN
“I have my FutureCast pick in for Michigan and still feel good about it. But I'm not overly confident, and I don't think those on the Michigan side are either.
"Kentucky has had success recruiting at Oak Park in the past, including last year with Rogers. Michigan State is going all in on Benny.
"But at the end of the day, relationships matter in recruiting. Michigan has always been a constant. Area recruiter Sherrone Moore has done a nice job with Benny as of late. Defensive line coach Shaun Nua has built up a strong bond. And head coach Jim Harbaugh has been involved as well.
"Benny is listed as an offensive lineman, but Michigan has recruited him along the defensive line — his position of preference — for a while now, which is another plus for the Wolverines.” - EJ Holland, TheWolverine.com
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MICHIGAN STATE
“A team that has recently made a strong push for Benny is Michigan State. Earlier in his recruitment, Benny admitted that the Spartans weren't a major contender under the previous coaching staff. However, new coach Mel Tucker made it a priority to change that and was quickly able to host the Oak Park lineman for a visit before the dead period commended.
"Since then, the Spartans have consistently made up ground and now find themselves in Benny's top group. Recently, Tucker has been heavily involved in the pursuit, and that has really hit home with Benny and his family. The four-star has also been thoroughly impressed by the staff's efforts to help him build his social media brand through various edits. MSU has made branding and NIL legislation a focal point of their pitch to Benny and it has certainly caught his attention. Plus, with Benny currently playing OL and DL for Oak Park High School, it helps that the Spartans are willing to let him choose which position he prefers to play in college.
"With that said, it remains to be seen whether all this recent momentum is enough to unseat the Michigan Wolverines, who have long been rumored to be his favorite. Benny recently told Rivals Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt that he was really excited to watch the Spartans play this upcoming season and analyze the new coaching staff. Interestingly, it now seems like he'll be committing to a school before getting to see much of anything this fall. Still, if anyone else has a chance to land Benny over the Wolverines, it would be the recently-surging Spartans.” - Justin Thind, SpartanMag.com
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PENN STATE
“After missing out on Diego Pounds last month, Benny has become Penn State’s top offensive line target for 2021. James Franklin and his staff believe that he's versatile enough to play all five positions, making Benny an important prospect at the moment. They’ve also informed him that he could play defensive tackle if that’s where he truly prefers to play at the next level.
"I think PSU being open to defense now could help the Nittany Lions, but I've also always thought that they were second or third, at best, with Benny. As of now, it’s hard to see him leaving the state.” - Ryan Snyder, BlueWhiteIllustrated.com
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THE VERDICT
I’m not sure if it matters to Benny whether he plays defensive tackle or on the offensive line as much as it mattered to Rogers, but this is going to go down to the wire and I still think Michigan has the best shot. Michigan State is pushing hard and Kentucky is dangerous, but I don’t see a reason to change my pick from the Wolverines just yet.” - Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director, Rivals.com