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Oak Park (Mich.) 2021 four-star defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny had big plans lined up for this spring.
Plans that have since been put on hold.
Visiting Iowa, Georgia, Tennessee, Clemson, Ohio State and Auburn were on his to-do list before the novel coronavirus forced the NCAA to halt in-person recruiting.
“These visits were going to help me make my decision,” Benny told WolverinesWire. “Now I have to find the time to get these visits in.”
Many prospects in Benny’s recruiting class, like Cass Tech’s Kalen and Kobe King, have committed earlier than originally planned due to fear that their spot on a specific college roster would be taken by someone else.
But Benny isn’t going to let COVID-19 stand in his way of making a thorough decision. He will stay patient, wait until he’s allowed to visit all the schools he needs to check out and, eventually, make a choice.
“I’m not going to let it rush me,” he said. “I’ll take my time. That’s very important. I don’t want to commit and decommit. I want to commit once.”
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Just because Benny can’t take in-person visits doesn’t mean he’s not busy. His phone call log is filled with names of coaches from across the country.
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound lineman said, in an unconventional way, the virus has made his life more hectic than he expected.
“Before, I had visits planned, but I’ve had to cut everything out because I can’t go anywhere,” Benny said. “But it became busy since everyone is inside their homes, so they’ve all got time to talk. My line has just been ringing.”
One of those schools is Michigan, a program in hot pursuit of Benny’s services on the defensive line. He talks to the coaching staff, primarily defensive line coach Shaun Nua, at least four times each week.
Benny also engages with head coach Jim Harbaugh, tight ends coach Sherrone Moore and director of recruiting Matt Dudek.
“I appreciate it,” he said. “That’s my hometown. If that’s the right fit and where the love is, then that’s where I’m going to go.”
Besides Michigan, the other teams most in contact with Benny include Iowa, Arkansas, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC and Notre Dame. He has offers from 40 schools.
Since Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker was hired in February, the Spartans have increased their efforts in Benny’s recruitment. He hears plenty from defensive line coach Ron Burton and offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic as well as maintaining a “good relationship” with Tucker.
“I like the new coaching staff,” Benny said. “I went up there and met everyone when we played Ohio State. I liked the energy and the vibe. You could tell it’s a new era vs. the Dantonio era.”
Benny’s teammate, three-star running back Davion Primm, was the first to join MSU’s 2021 class, doing so on March 7. Primm is actively recruiting his close friend to join him.
“I’ll get him first and go from there,” Primm said. “We’re very close, one of my best friends since my first day of practice.”
While most recruiting websites have Benny listed as an offensive tackle, U-M and MSU view him as a defensive tackle. Both schools believe he can play as early as his true freshman season.
“The fact that I’ve got a motor,” Benny said. “Nobody goes harder than me. Through everything, I just fight. What I want, I get. I’m a hard worker, and that’s the biggest thing. Giving it my all every play.”
Benny is ranked No. 127 in the nation, No. 16 at offensive tackle and No. 6 in Michigan, per the 247Sports composite.