Rivals100 lineman Rayshaun Benny picks Michigan State
Mel Tucker has landed his biggest commitment since becoming the head coach of Michigan State last February. Rivals100 two-way lineman Rayshaun Benny announced on Monday his selection of the Spartans in a recruitment that included the likes of Michigan, Penn State, Kentucky and more than 30 other schools that extended the Oak Park, Mich., four-star a scholarship offer.
MORE COMMITMENT NEWS: Spartans land first in 2022
HOW IT HAPPENED
Benny’s recruitment started to take off in April of his sophomore year when he landed 11 offers, among them Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Oregon. The southeast Michigan product was never in a rush and took his time with the process, but that caused problems when the NCAA shut down all recruiting visits last March. Determined to wait the NCAA out because he felt it necessary to take additional visits before deciding, Benny resisted the temptation to make a commitment while so many other 2021 prospects were jumping at spots. When the dead period was extended until the end of 2020, though, Benny started making plans to commit.
The relationship between Benny and Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic actually started early in his junior season when much of the current Spartans staff was with Tucker at Colorado. Kapilovic offered Benny a scholarship to Colorado shortly after his junior season had concluded, but their relationship really developed after Tucker and Kapilovic went to Michigan State. Not long after, Benny named a top 14, which became a top eight in July. He further cut it down to four schools – Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State – in October and originally planned to announce his commitment on Oct. 25. That was postponed, but Benny quickly rescheduled and announced his commitment to the Spartans on Monday.
IN HIS WORDS
“Really, it was the whole staff. That was one of the biggest things, I was in contact with literally the whole staff. It just showed me how much of a priority I am for them.
“The new culture with coach Tucker, he believes in his players and we’ll be his first class, so that will be something big.
“The demeanor that they came out with versus Michigan – that wasn’t my deciding factor, but it just showed me they have hope and that's all you need.
“My running back (Davion Primm) committed there. I am not going to say he had a factor in it, but I thought about it would be nice for us to all go there and turn it up, change that program back to what it used to be competing against Ohio State and when they played against Alabama even.
“I like how I can go in and play as a true freshman on the d-line. I feel like they have a good rotation of guys they get in. They are going to use me at different ways, all across the line.”
SCOUTING REPORT
We rate Benny as an offensive line prospect because that is the side of the football where we see his greatest potential, but many of the things that make him a great offensive lineman also translate to defensive line. Michigan State is talking with Benny about manning both their 5-technique defensive end role and 3-technique defensive tackle role at times. He can project to both positions because of his unique blend of size and athleticism. In fact, it is that well-roundedness of his game that makes Benny such a highly-sought prospect. He does so many things well and has so few weaknesses that he provides unique versatility and should be able to impact early in his career. For a defensive line comparison, Michigan State fans should see many similarities to Raequan Williams.
WHICH SCHOOL IT HURTS MOST
While both Kentucky and Penn State could have been considered teams to beat at different points in this recruitment, in the end it really shaped up into a Michigan-Michigan State battle. In the first major recruiting tussle between Tucker and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines came away with the commitment of East Lansing wide receiver Andrel Anthony. Michigan State’s ability to land Benny, though, may signal a shift in the Great Lakes State’s recruiting landscape. In the minutes after Michigan State’s victory over Michigan last month, Benny told he his decision had already been made and the outcome of that game was not a factor. However, getting a commitment from a four-star, Rivals100 in-state prospect just over a week after that upset will definitely juice the Spartan’s in-state recruiting momentum. Great players want to play with other great players, and landing a prospect of Benny’s caliber will have an impact on Michigan State’s ability to recruit the best players in its home state.