VIDEO: https://wisconsin.rivals.com/news/week-5-in-state-blitz-2019-wisconsin-commit-keeanu-benton
Strengths:
There's lots to like about Keeanu Benton, who was listed Friday night at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds. He's a pretty thick kid right now and he's got a big lower body that suits his future home at nose tackle well. Benton's hanging around in the 285-range because he's one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the state, but once the three-star prospect finishes his senior year I think he'll easily grow into the 305-310 range before he gets to Wisconsin.
Benton played both ways for Craig last night and took a lot of reps. On defense, Craig ran a 4-3 front and he bumped around at each tackle spot, depending on what La Follette presented. He's a pretty good athlete for his size and even showed some sideline-to-sideline speed on a few plays. Benton is quick off the ball and generates a really strong initial surge at the line of scrimmage. More often than not, he's able to drive opponents into the backfield despite facing double teams most of the night. He fills gaps well and has good footwork in pursuit of the play.
A few plays caught my attention, and those occurred when Benton was engaged with an offensive lineman but quickly shed that defender to make a tackle. I thought the speed and burst he executed this with was really unique, something that obviously comes from his wrestling background. Benton also has a pretty big wingspan and did make an effort to get his hands into the air on pass plays. With that, I think he'll be able to play a few different techniques for position coach Inoke Breckterfield.
As you would expect from a wrestler, Benton uses his hands well but still has a lot to learn as far as technique. But just in terms of raw power, Benton has a violent strike that is pretty effective. When he locks into an offensive lineman, he's able to move that player wherever he wants. He's a powerful kid but will still need to continue to get stronger over the next few years.
Plain and simple: Wisconsin doesn't get these type of kids in its backyard too often. Over the years,
NICK HAYDEN, JORDAN KOHOUT and BRYCE GILBERT came from inside the state, but (I think) that's pretty much it. The Badgers would definitely benefit if players like Benton popped up more often.
Areas of improvement:
My biggest takeaway in this department is that Benton took some plays off. Granted, he was going both ways and was likely looking to save some energy, but there were a handful of reps where Benton didn't make much an effort to pursue the play. I don't think it's a conditioning thing, because Benton was actually better in the second half. Certainly something the coaching staff will address very quickly in Madison, if needed.
Related to this, Benton is going to have to learn a secondary move(s) on the defensive line. When he was initially stopped, he rarely tried something else in order to move past his defender. This is something he'll learn at Wisconsin.
Finally - and you see this with a lot of defensive linemen at the high school level - Benton stood straight up at the snap a handful of times, which essentially eliminated him from the play. I'd say he's a raw prospect right now but the ceiling is high.
Outlook:
Next year, Bryson Williams will be the lone scholarship nose guard on the roster, assuming that Kayden Lyles moves back to the offensive line. That could also change if the Badgers hit on Isaiah Gibson or Rodas Johnson in the current class. But, assuming it's Williams and Benton, the door is open to play right away as a true freshman.
Wisconsin comparison on current roster:
This was tough. Olive Sagapolu, Garrett Rand, Lyles and Williams all have huge lower bodies, and Benton is taller than all four. With that, I think Benton is going to bring something unique to the roster.
Let me know what your thoughts are.
Strengths:
There's lots to like about Keeanu Benton, who was listed Friday night at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds. He's a pretty thick kid right now and he's got a big lower body that suits his future home at nose tackle well. Benton's hanging around in the 285-range because he's one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the state, but once the three-star prospect finishes his senior year I think he'll easily grow into the 305-310 range before he gets to Wisconsin.
Benton played both ways for Craig last night and took a lot of reps. On defense, Craig ran a 4-3 front and he bumped around at each tackle spot, depending on what La Follette presented. He's a pretty good athlete for his size and even showed some sideline-to-sideline speed on a few plays. Benton is quick off the ball and generates a really strong initial surge at the line of scrimmage. More often than not, he's able to drive opponents into the backfield despite facing double teams most of the night. He fills gaps well and has good footwork in pursuit of the play.
A few plays caught my attention, and those occurred when Benton was engaged with an offensive lineman but quickly shed that defender to make a tackle. I thought the speed and burst he executed this with was really unique, something that obviously comes from his wrestling background. Benton also has a pretty big wingspan and did make an effort to get his hands into the air on pass plays. With that, I think he'll be able to play a few different techniques for position coach Inoke Breckterfield.
As you would expect from a wrestler, Benton uses his hands well but still has a lot to learn as far as technique. But just in terms of raw power, Benton has a violent strike that is pretty effective. When he locks into an offensive lineman, he's able to move that player wherever he wants. He's a powerful kid but will still need to continue to get stronger over the next few years.
Plain and simple: Wisconsin doesn't get these type of kids in its backyard too often. Over the years,
NICK HAYDEN, JORDAN KOHOUT and BRYCE GILBERT came from inside the state, but (I think) that's pretty much it. The Badgers would definitely benefit if players like Benton popped up more often.
Areas of improvement:
My biggest takeaway in this department is that Benton took some plays off. Granted, he was going both ways and was likely looking to save some energy, but there were a handful of reps where Benton didn't make much an effort to pursue the play. I don't think it's a conditioning thing, because Benton was actually better in the second half. Certainly something the coaching staff will address very quickly in Madison, if needed.
Related to this, Benton is going to have to learn a secondary move(s) on the defensive line. When he was initially stopped, he rarely tried something else in order to move past his defender. This is something he'll learn at Wisconsin.
Finally - and you see this with a lot of defensive linemen at the high school level - Benton stood straight up at the snap a handful of times, which essentially eliminated him from the play. I'd say he's a raw prospect right now but the ceiling is high.
Outlook:
Next year, Bryson Williams will be the lone scholarship nose guard on the roster, assuming that Kayden Lyles moves back to the offensive line. That could also change if the Badgers hit on Isaiah Gibson or Rodas Johnson in the current class. But, assuming it's Williams and Benton, the door is open to play right away as a true freshman.
Wisconsin comparison on current roster:
This was tough. Olive Sagapolu, Garrett Rand, Lyles and Williams all have huge lower bodies, and Benton is taller than all four. With that, I think Benton is going to bring something unique to the roster.
Let me know what your thoughts are.
