2021 in-state four-star Rayshaun Benny being recruited ‘50/50’ as OL, DL

One of Michigan’s biggest targets along the defensive line in the 2021 class is four-star Rayshaun Benny. The Oak Park native has long been recruited by Michigan for defense, but other schools are recruiting him to play along the offensive line.

As he explained to me on this week’s Future Brew podcast, Benny is open to playing offensive line in college even though defense is his preference.

Von: So you’ve been speaking with a lot of schools obviously, and you have well over 30 offers at this point from schools all across the country. You mentioned the in-state schools and then Penn State, Arizona State obviously going way out west. At this point, with all these schools reaching out to you — and I intro’d you here as both an offensive and a defensive lineman — it sounded like Michigan wants you to strictly play defensive line, but are any of these schools that are recruiting you right now wanting you to play offensive line, or are they kinda on the same boat as U-M with you going over to defense?

Rayshaun: To be honest, it’s probably about a 50/50 mix, just depending on the school, for real. (At) some schools, I have the option to play either or, but, you know, for the most part it’s about split.

Von: For example, where’s Michigan State and Penn State and Kentucky and Ohio State, where are they recruiting you at? Offensive or defensive line?

Rayshaun: Michigan State, d-line. Penn State, o-line. Kentucky, d-line. (Ohio State) is o-line.

Von: Is there a preference at this point for you? Because you’re a highly regarded kid on both offensive and defensive line, you’re really good at both, clearly, if it’s a 50/50 split. Is there a preference for you? Do you wanna play offensive line? Do you wanna play defensive line? Or is it just at the point in your life where you’re just kinda like ‘you know what, I’ll play wherever the coaches wanna put me.’?”

Rayshaun: Yes, it’s a preference, but at the same time it’s like, if I feel like — let’s just say I go to, I don’t know, a random school, let’s say I go to Georgia for d-line, right? If I feel like Arkansas o-line coach is gonna develop me better, and my preference is d-line, though, but the o-line is gonna get me to the league, then that’s where I’m gonna go.

Listen to the full podcast below.