Roundtable: Will Michigan Football Close With Rivals100 DT Rayshaun Benny?

Michigan Wolverines football 2021 defensive tackle target Rayshaun Benny, out of Oak Park (Mich.) High, is set to make his college decision on Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.

In this roundtable, we give our predictions on if Michigan can close with the Rivals100 prospect. Takes from Rivals midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt and The Wolverine's Austin Fox, EJ Holland and Clayton Sayfie are below.

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The gut feeling here is no, though this one feels like it could go a number of ways. Benny ultimately choosing any of his four finalists wouldn’t be a shocker, as he has kept his recruitment close to the vest the entire time. If the Wolverines are able to land him on Oct. 25, he would be their seventh pledge rated inside the nation’s top 100. Again, it’s important to note how difficult it has been to get a read on Benny during his recruitment, which is why the prediction above of him winding up somewhere other than Michigan is based on nothing more than a gut feeling.

Gun to my head, I'd say yes, Michigan lands Benny. But ... this could go a number of ways. All four of his finalists have a shot here at the end, which is not something that's always the case in a recruitment. Benny is basing his choice off of the relationships with the coaching staffs and players, he's said numerous times. The Wolverines should feel good about that fact, considering they've been recruiting him for a long, long time. The Maize and Blue have built a great connection with the Rivals100 prospect. The caveat: So have the others, including Michigan State.

The Spartans didn't really have a chance at landing Benny back when former head coach Mark Dantonio was at the helm, but he's since unceremoniously stepped down. Credit new head man Mel Tucker for prioritizing Benny and making up ground in this one. He'll have a chance to make a big, in-state splash if he can close with Benny.

That said, Michigan is the pick, but that's with a 5/10 confidence level.