Ranking the Contenders: Rayshaun Benny
We continue today with our look at the top contenders for each prospect ranked in the top 100 for the class of 2021. Up next is Oak Park, Mich., lineman Rayshaun Benny, who is ranked as the No. 14 offensive tackle prospect in the class but would actually prefer to play defensive line in college.
Benny recently saw his offer list hit three dozen schools. He has tried to pare that down to a more manageable number, but still had a lengthy list of 14 teams when he announced a top group last month. Here is a look at which of those schools we see as the strongest contenders for Benny while recruiting visits remain on hold.
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MORE RANKING THE CONTENDERS: Aaron Willis | Jaylen Davies | Cody Brown | Savion Byrd | Elliot Donald | Maliki Matavao
NFL DRAFT: Comparing TEs in NFL Draft to current high school prospects | RBs | WRs | QBs
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
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1. PENN STATE
This might be a controversial No. 1 pick for Benny, but there are several indicators here that suggest Penn State is sitting as good as any school on his list. The first is a January visit to State College that definitely spiked Benny’s interest in the Nittany Lions. The second is that Penn State has already locked in one of his three official visit spots. A third indicator is the recent success Penn State has in recruiting the metro Detroit area, including landing his teammate Enzo Jennings in the 2020 class. The final mark in the plus column for Benny is that all else being equal, I think he would prefer to get away rather than stay close to home.
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2. MICHIGAN STATE
Benny recently stated that he had essentially written Michigan State off until the coaching change in East Lansing. His last visit before the recruiting visit shutdown went into effect last month was to see the Spartans, and Benny was excited about the change in energy he saw from the new staff. In particular, assistant coaches Courtney Hawkins and Harlon Barnett have made sure Benny knows he is a priority of the new Michigan State staff, and their efforts are generating increasing interest from the in-state four-star.
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3. TENNESSEE
Tennessee is another strong contender if Benny decides he definitely wants to play out-of-state, which I could see happening as his decision draws near. The Volunteers are a more recent addition to Benny’s offer sheet, just making their interest official in early February. The Oak Park program has had a strong connection with the Volunteers, however, since former Knights running back John Kelly went down to Knoxville. The feeling around Oak Park is Tennessee was able to get the most out of Kelly, who has since gone onto the NFL, and that will help the Volunteers in their pursuit of Benny.
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4. MICHIGAN
The state of Michigan has produced more four- and five-stars in the previous two recruiting classes than during any other consecutive years in the Rivals era. Michigan, however, has only secured six prospects from within its own borders over those two classes, and the Wolverines were complete non-factors with the three top prospects out of Oak Park in the 2020 class. With Benny, though, Michigan has made more of an effort and has been able to get him on campus several times. Michigan has some hurdles to clear in this recruitment, but Benny’s frequent visits to Ann Arbor is evidence of his interest in the Wolverines.
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5. IOWA
Iowa is another school that has locked in one of Benny’s official visits. The Hawkeyes got into this recruitment early and offered the four-star lineman one year ago this month. Kelvin Bell has built a strong relationship with Benny during that time, and it likely does not hurt that Bell is the coach of the Hawkeyes' defensive line, where Benny wants to play in college. Arkansas also has secured a spot as one of Benny’s five official visit destinations, but the Razorbacks have a longer way to go in this recruitment.
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6. NOTRE DAME
Like Tennessee, Notre Dame is a new addition to Benny’s offer list. The Fighting Irish only jumped in last month after being encouraged by Benny’s academic progress, but the two parties have been in contact since his sophomore year. Assuming campus visits resume and Benny is able to get down to South Bend, I expect Notre Dame to continue to gain momentum in this recruitment and become a stronger threat to the teams at the top of this list.