After recovering from a major injury and waiting his turn behind a slew of NFL bound players in recent years, Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is ready to be one of the starters in 2025.
Benny saw limited action his first two seasons in Ann Arbor, sitting behind All-Americans and future NFL Draft picks Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Kris Jenkins. Now, Benny is expected to be an even more integral part of the defensive line.
In a recent interview on In The Trenches, Benny detailed what it was like learning from Graham, Grant and Jenkins.
“It was fun and I was able to learn a lot from them,” Benny said. “We all gave each other coaching points and I was just able to see a dominant unit for years. It was good to put my eyes on it so I know what people would expect from me.”
Heading into his fifth and final season at Michigan, Benny made it clear he has high expectations for this year and he hopes to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. In order to do so, he must dominate like his predecessors did.
Another thing Benny is hoping to do — much like the guys before him — is be in a leadership position and help the underclassmen develop.
“I know what it feels like to look up to somebody and look for them on what I should do,” Benny said. “So it just feels good to be the older guy and knowing that I have people looking up to me. It just gives me a chip on my shoulder.”
Not only did Benny have to wait his turn to climb the depth chart, but he also dealt with recovering from a broken fibula he suffered in the Rose Bowl win over Alabama. It took him nine months to fully heal and he wasn’t fully recovered by the time the 2024 season started.
“I really didn’t start feeling comfortable until a few weeks into last season,” Benny said. “The process was long but I was just happy that I had the right people in my corner to go through it with me. I didn’t fully recover until like September.”
Once he did return to the field, Benny displayed his potential by posting a career-best 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks last year. As he prepares to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career, Benny should be even more productive in 2025 and catapult himself into the 2026 draft conversation.