The 2024 Michigan football season is around the corner, and the Wolverines are gearing up for their national and Big Ten title defenses. With a new head coach, all new defensive coaching staff and 18 new starters, however it won't be an easy task.
So who will be leading the charge for the Wolverines this fall? As we do every summer, we break it down with our countdown of Michigan's 25 most important players. Combining staff votes and a fan ballot, we look at players whose position, proven roles, potential talent and lack of depth behind them make them most important to the Wolverines' success or failure this fall. We look back at their 2023 seasons, preview the 2024 season for each player and debate their spot in the ranking.
Previously:No. 25 Max Bredeson,No. 24 Fredrick Moore, No. 23 Dominic Zvada
No. 22 — Rayshaun Benny
Basics
Position: Defensive lineman
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 296 pounds
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
High School: Oak Park
Recruiting ranking: No. 177 in the 2021 247Sports Composite, No. 26 defensive lineman
2023 recap
Slotting in as Michigan's No. 5 defensive tackle, Benny had a productive junior season. He played in 14 games during the season, totaling 244 snaps, 27 tackles with 5.5 for loss including one sack, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, seven pass breakups and 15 run stops.
Though lauded prior to the 2023 season most as a pass-rusher, stopping the run is arguably where Benny shined brightest last fall. His run-stop rate of 13.3 percent (per PFF) led all Michigan defenders who played at least 25 run defense snaps, and was actually fourth out of 478 interior FBS defenders to play at least 100 run defense snaps in run-stop rate. To boot, he didn't miss a tackle all season.
Benny endured a leg injury in the Rose Bowl, however, and did not play in the national championship game or spring practices.
2024 outlook
Benny is expected to be fully ready to go by fall camp, and will do so with a prime opportunity to make a name for himself as a senior. Michigan has arguably the best defensive tackle duo in the country heading into the season in Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but loses Kris Jenkins and Cam Goode from last year's five-man rotation.
Barring a surge from sophom*ores like Trey Pierce, Enow Etta or Cameron Brandt, that leaves Benny as the clear No. 3 at a position where that means more at Michigan than most schools. Last fall, the Wolverines played an average of 2.21 defensive tackles per snap, and proved that, if a player's ready to play, they'll rotate in. Here's how Michigan's "No. 3" defensive tackle fared statistically the last three seasons:
2021 (Donovan Jeter) —24 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 7 pressures, 13 run stops. Kris Jenkins could have qualified here as well.
2022 (Mason Graham) — 27 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 13 pressures, 14 run stops.
2023 (Kenneth Grant) —29 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 23 pressures, 14 run stops.
In other words, it's a meaningful role, especially if the player is up to the task. Benny arguably played that well last fall as a much-improved all-around lineman, and has the size and talent to play his way to an NFL future with even more progress as a senior.
Why No. 22?
Benny is one of only a couple non-starters in these rankings, but there are a few reasons why he belongs where he's ranked. As we noted above, Michigan's No. 3 interior defensive lineman is going to play a bigger role than just about any backup at Michigan outside of running back and maybe tight end. The Wolverines' defense is predicated on rotating and playing fresh up front.
Second, unlike some positions where it isn't fully clear yet who's going to step up, causing some split votes, Benny is a well-known, proven player. Michigan also browsed the transfer portal looking for more defensive line depth next to Benny, hinting that the Wolverines might not be fully sold yet on more depth stepping up besides him.
There's some irony in Benny making this list after Michigan literally won a Rose Bowl and national title after his injury. But with Jenkins and Goode gone, Benny's experience and talent is quietly not easy to replace. He may not have the preseason buzz of Graham and Grant, but Michigan will need him to have his best season this fall to be a championship-caliber defense again.
From the fans
The fan vote was on the same page as the rest of us about Benny, putting him 23rd. He only received one vote higher than 10th, which makes sense given his role, but he was the No. 1 vote-getter at the 21 spot, and the No. 2 vote-getter at No. 18 and No. 22.
Quote
Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito: "He's still injured … but he's done an unbelievable job this spring coaching guys and helping guys out. You watch him at every practice, he's grabbing guys. That's the one thing I talked to him about. How do you keep guys involved when they're not able to physically go out there? He's done an unbelievable job. He meets with me twice a week, we watch his plays from last year. When we're out on the field, he becomes another coach for some of those guys we're trying to build depth with. He's done a great job with that."
