Tag: Rayshaun Benny

Rayshaun Benny shares thoughts on in-state DT Damon Payne joining the Michigan D-line

The 2024 DT rotation is gonna be lethal! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football likes to proclaim ‘the best players in Michigan go to Michigan,’ but that’s not always the case. Some top talent in-state have tended to look elsewhere, especially if they’re one of the higher-rated players in the country.

Such was the case for former Belleville (Mich.) five-star defensive tackle Damon Payne. Though Payne had visited Ann Arbor multiple times, there wasn’t much reciprocity between the program and the elite-level recruit during the 2021 cycle. Payne ended up at Alabama but never flourished into a starting role, instead being more of a reserve. Now, he’s coming to Ann Arbor, ready to make his hometown proud.

On Thursday, WolverinesWire asked fellow 2021 class member Rayshaun Benny — who has been in Ann Arbor the whole time — in a general sense his excitement for Payne’s commitment to the maize and blue (Payne hasn’t officially signed yet) as well as the importance of getting or bringing local talent back into the fold.

“I think it’s good. Coach Moore is doing a good job with keeping the Michigan guys in Michigan, or getting Michigan guys back to Michigan,” Benny said. “So it’s big, just with the history we got with the D-line, that’d be big as far as just building another dominant group, knowing that we got the two moving on — one moving on.”

Of course, Benny is referring to Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, with Graham having announced he’s moving on to the NFL draft while Grant has yet to make that decision officially.

Assuming everything holds with the current room, with impending transfers unclear, Michigan will likely have Benny (he hasn’t decided his future officially yet, he says), Trey Pierce, Ike Iwunnah, Enow Etta, and Damon Payne available to rotate next year — along with Derrick Moore, TJ Guy, Cam Brandt, and others on the edge.

Payne was ranked as the top defensive tackle in the state of Michigan in the 2021 class while Benny was the second-best DT in the state that cycle.

Michigan football looking at second half of season as ‘a fresh start’

1-0 each week mentality. #GoBlue

The defending national champions haven’t looked the part of championship contender at any point this season. Whether it’s been the new personnel breaking in, new coaches figuring things out, or the numerous quarterback and identity changes, Michigan football has been a work in progress.

Now the Wolverines are at the halfway point and have a much-needed bye week to figure things out. Coming off of a loss to unranked Washington, the maize and blue lost the game that was something of an inflection point on the season. Having already lost to Texas, Michigan couldn’t afford to lose a game before November, but the schedule is getting increasingly harder as teams like Indiana and Illinois are proving to be much better than advertised. And Oregon and Ohio State still loom large next month.

But the way that senior defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny sees it, this break comes at the perfect time as it allows the team to have something of a reset before the final six games arrive.

“It’s a fresh start. It’s a whole new part of the season to where we’re just trying to get everybody back from injuries,” Benny said. “Anybody who body was banged up, we’re trying to get everybody back on board to where it’s a whole fresh, new start of the season, to where we just roll after this.”

Injuries certainly have mounted and that’s played a role in some of the recent struggles. Even in Seattle, Michigan was without numerous starters, including left tackle Myles Hinton, center Dom Giudice, and edge rusher Derrick Moore. The week before, it was Will Johnson and Josaiah Stewart who were out. The week before, Colston Loveland was out. Jack Tuttle is only now starting because he was unhealthy leading up to this point.

Regardless, Benny is confident that a newly healthy version of these Wolverines could do some damage. After all, the talent is there, it’s just incumbent that it’s healthy and makes good on its potential through execution.

“Just knowing that, like the rest of this — not necessarily a new season, just more so that our season is not over, no matter what everybody else want to say or how they want to look at it, we know our season not over,” Benny said. “Anything can happen. We just got to keep playing good football. And then what was meant to be will be.”

Gravity of Texas game forcing Michigan football to hone in

It’s Michigan vs. everybody! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s a certain gravity to Saturday’s Michigan game against Texas that has everyone buzzing. There hasn’t been a nonconference, non-bowl game as big as this for the Wolverines in 30 years. And even though the maize and blue weren’t terribly sharp in Week 1 in the 30-10 win over Fresno State, the team is ready for the challenge.

Most of the team has experienced big games as the Wolverines just won the national championship after having beaten Ohio State, Alabama, and Washington late in the year, but for transfer left guard Josh Priebe — who came aboard from Northwestern — this is the biggest game he’s played in to date. Before this, it was the 2020 Big Ten Championship Game.

But Priebe says that the team is ready and no matter what struggles the offense may have had in Week 1, they’ll correct the mistakes and will put forth their best against the Longhorns.

“Anytime you can play an opponent like this, everyone’s gonna be excited about it,” Priebe said. “And I think, regardless of things we need to clean up, whatever it may be, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We’re gonna try and fix those things regardless. And we’re gonna have the same urgency surrounding what we need to fix and what we need to improve. And I think having an opponent like Texas is obviously an exciting challenge and something that we’re going to fully embrace.”

Texas isn’t just the favorite in the sportsbooks, but it’s unlikely that any analysts will choose the Wolverines to win on Saturday. Given how well Michigan plays with a chip on its shoulder, senior defensive tackle Rayshuan Benny says that let everyone talk — the maize and blue will do their talking with their play on the field.

“We see the media — everything,” Benny said. “Everybody has their own perspective on us and the team, but we got our own perspective, and we believe in ourselves. That’s all that matters.”

For Priebe, he says that the most important thing is that Michigan focuses on the task at hand, doesn’t make the game too big, and that the team plays its brand of football on Saturday. If they do that, everything will take care of itself.

“Certainly everyone in the building, understands the weight of this game and how serious everyone’s taking it,” Priebe said. “And I think nobody takes that lightly. But I think at the same time trying to eliminate all the outside distractions, all the kind of buzz or extra pressure of the game, I think just investing that time and energy into prepping and preparing for Texas, and it’s just kind of everyone’s focus right now.”

Michigan and Texas will kick off at noon EDT on Saturday with the game broadcast nationally on Fox.

Michigan football players to watch against Indiana

These guys are poised for a big game! #GoBlue

Michigan is set to kick off against Indiana this Saturday at noon EST. The Wolverines are looking to keep their undefeated season alive, while the Hoosiers are trying not to get embarassed.

As per usual, this game has more going on than just the score. Michigan has a number of player storylines to keep track of heading into this weekend’s game. Can Junior Colson and Rayshaun Benny make their splash plays? How about the run game, can it put Michigan is the drivers seat?

If the score gets out of hand early, stay tuned in to see how the following players perform!

Pass rush synergy forming for Michigan football in 2023

This defensive line has the chance to be SCARY good! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It sounds like Happy learned how to putt.

Michigan football hasn’t had a dominant pass-rushing presence from the interior defensive line since Maurice Hurst was on the team in 2017. In 2023, it’s become something of a focal point.

The Wolverines lost three edge rushers from last year — Mike Morris went to the NFL while Eyabi Okie transferred to Charlotte and Taylor Upshaw transferred first to Colorado, then Arizona. Now entering 2023, it’s all hands on deck, and not just for the players on the edge.

One of the big emphases of the 2023 campaign has been developing a pass rush from anywhere on the defensive line, including the interior. Kris Jenkins has shown a proclivity toward getting into the backfield in his junior year, but defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has been focused on working the other defensive tackles into becoming pass rush machines in the middle.

Junior tackle Rayshaun Benny has seen the tackles and the edge players come together as one big unit.

“The whole D-line, the whole interior, we all got better,” Benny said. “So it’s all about us keep pushing each other. Everybody trying to be better than the next person just so it could create that camaraderie.

“It helps a lot. We put in work with the edge guys. We push out the quarterback to them, they bring the quarterback back into us. It’s a big unit.”

Asked where his group has made the biggest improvement in the offseason, Benny notes that the pass rush has been exemplary. Given the attrition, it’s something that’s definitely needed.

“The biggest thing that the whole D-line did was we progressed in pass rush,” Benny said. “So we’re looking to get after the quarterback on the interior this year.”

So, how does a group emphasize getting better in pass rush? Certainly, players are working to get into the backfield regardless, but Benny says it’s about an offseason mindset. The more you work on it, the better you get.

“Offseason work — the whole offseason that was our main focus,” Benny said. “I wouldn’t say that was our main focus, but that was a big focus of ours, just keep getting better and better and the guys that want the work, we work.”

In terms of production last year, the interior defensive line accounted for 5 sacks — 2.5 from Mason Graham, two from Kris Jenkins, and half a sack from Mazi Smith. Smith is gone to the NFL, but the others return. Benny figures to be a key part in the revamped attack, and he flashed in the Ohio State game when he forced an interception by creating pressure against quarterback CJ Stroud.

So, it’s not as if the unit wasn’t good, but Benny says that the group is aware that there’s more they can do. And they intend to in 2023.

“I wouldn’t say we wasn’t satisfied, it’s just something we know that we can improve in,” Benny said. “And if we make that improvement, it’ll put us further in the game, one step closer.”

Three Michigan football defensive players poised for a breakout year

Expect the Michigan defense to be good again!

Michigan football begins its season next Saturday, Sept. 3 against Colorado State for the home opener.

The Wolverines are hoping for a repeat of the magical 2021 season. The maize and blue not only defeated their arch-rival Ohio State 42-27 last year, but Michigan also reigned supreme over the Big Ten after it beat Iowa in the Big Ten Title game. The Wolverines made their first College Football Playoff appearance but faltered against the eventual champion, Georgia.

While Michigan is ranked No. 6 in the Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the AP Poll, the Wolverines aren’t a popular pick to repeat as Big Ten champions. According to the national media, Ohio State is going to take back over the Big Ten and it could even make noise in the CFP if projections ring true.

A big reason why Michigan isn’t being picked to repeat in 2022 is due to it losing Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Josh Ross, Dax Hill, and Brad Hawkins on the defensive side of the ball. But like every year — look back at Ojabo last season — players come out of thin air to become huge playmakers.

A few weeks ago I wrote about three players on the offensive side of the ball that would have a breakout season.

Now I’m going to pick three players on the defensive side of the ball that are poised to have a breakout 2022 campaign.

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Top 5 freshman that will see major playing time

Five incoming Michigan football freshmen who have what it takes to make an early impact in 2021.

The Michigan Wolverines made a major splash on national signing day on Wednesday when it flipped two recruits — one from a major rival — and signed three more prospects into the class of 2021.

The maize and blue were in major need of some interior line help on the defensive side of the ball, and as of last month, it appeared that Michigan wouldn’t be getting any help at all. When it was all said and done the Wolverines snagged three defensive-tackles in the likes of George Rooks, Rayshaun Benny — the major get that was previously committed to MSU — and Ikechukwu Iwuannah — the commit who flipped from Colorado. Defensive line coach Shaun Nua and newcomer Ron Bellamy had a huge hand in landing these players.

According to the 247Sports Composite ranking, the Wolverines landed the 10th-best class in the nation, and that was a big win for Michigan after the less-than-stellar season it had.

Now that spring ball is coming up next, we’re going to discuss which five new freshmen will see the most playing time in the fall.

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4-Star DT Rayshaun Benny flips commitment to Michigan

The class of 2021 took a big hit when 4-star DT Rayshaun Benny announced he has flipped from Michigan State to in-state rival Michigan.

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The class of 2021 took a big hit when 4-star defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny announced he has flipped from Michigan State and has committed with in-state rival Michigan. Benny flipped to Michigan State a few months ago, but has now decided to return to Michigan on National Signing Day.

Over the past few days, rumors were floating that Benny was going to go back to Michigan after they hired Ron Bellamy as their wide receivers coach. Bellamy helped lead West Bloomfield to a Division 1 State Championship a few weeks ago.

Benny, who is 6’5″ and weighs 275-pounds, is ranked as the No. 195 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 16 defensive tackle by 247sports. Benny will look to be a factor on the inside of the defensive line for years to come, unfortunately it won’t be at Michigan State.

The good news is that Michigan State did get a commitment from two-sport athlete, and 4-star wide receiver Keon Coleman. Check out all the other class of 2021 recruits who have signed for Michigan State right here.

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Reactions to Michigan football flipping Rayshaun Benny from MSU

The best reactions to Michigan football gaining a signature from former MSU verbal commitment Rayshaun Benny.

The Wolverines lost out on Oak Park (MI) four-star DT Rayshaun Benny on Nov. 9 last year, just over a week after losing to rival MSU on the field. Benny becoming a Spartan after appearing a lock to come to Ann Arbor was a huge blow to the maize and blue, however, on Wednesday morning, Benny dealt an even bigger blow to the green and white, as he not only flipped to Michigan, but signed as well.

Naturally, the Twittersphere was abuzz on Wednesday morning with the news, with multiple coaches and outlets reacting to the news that Benny was Ann Arbor-bound. Here are some of the best reactions we could find.

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Michigan gets Michigan State commit to flip on signing day

After the Spartans managed to beat out Michigan football on the field and in Benny’s recruitment in the fall, Benny thought better of it.

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What seemed to be a huge loss back during the season ended up being extra sweet come national signing day.

Michigan football had insult added to injury during the 2020 season when, after a shocking upset loss to rival Michigan State on Halloween, a 2021 in-state blue chip defensive tackle who seemed to be a lock to become a Wolverine ultimately chose to become a Spartan in the aftermath of that game. It was double the wins for new MSU head coach Mel Tucker and double the losses for Jim Harbaugh.

However, the Wolverines never stopped pursuing 2021 Oak Park (MI) four-star defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny and it ultimately paid off. Benny could have signed with Michigan State back on early signing day, but ultimately chose to wait. The maize and blue, with a new-look coaching staff, remained vigilant, and ultimately Benny chose to flip to Michigan football after all.

Considering that MSU tried, ruthlessly, to secure the rights to East Lansing (MI) wideout Andrel Anthony — who’s now enrolled at Michigan — it’s the second win on the recruiting trail for Jim Harbaugh over Mel Tucker.

Benny is a 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive tackle and is rated a four-star at No. 195 overall according to the 247Sports Composite.

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