The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 35 FOOTBALL RECRUITING "I'm in contact with all of them. That's really why [Michigan is a top school]. My relationship with Coach Nua is really raw. I like him a lot. He's one of the first few coaches to stay engaged with me and recruit me for defense. He believed in me. He has good con- tact with my family, including my mother. My mom really likes him." Harbaugh has also been heavily involved in the recruitment of Benny. The two video chat at least once ev- ery couple of weeks. "We just talk about the difference at Michigan," Benny said. "He tells me the difference between them and other universities, and what they can do for me. He has NFL experience, so he knows what it takes me to get there. We've had really good conversations." While Michigan seems to be gain- ing more and more steam with Benny, the Wolverines will have to fend off Kentucky. The Wildcats dipped into Oak Park and landed a Rivals100 prospect last year in five- star defensive tackle Justin Rogers, so there is familiarity there as well. Aside from Kentucky, Benny has remained interested in Arizona State, Arkansas, Penn State and Tennes- see. The new Michigan State staff is also doing everything it can to keep Benny close to home. So what will his final decision come down to? "The family feel," Benny said. "Probably somewhere that I've been before. I don't know what's going to happen if they don't allow vis- its, but that's something. Education. Anywhere I go, I'm going to get a good education, but all degrees don't mean something." Benny isn't the only highly touted defensive lineman still on the board. The Wolverines are also looking to close with Rivals250 Jersey City (N.J.) High defensive lineman George Rooks. With the high school football season slated to start in New Jersey in early October, Rooks wants to have a deci- sion made soon. The four-star pros- pect, who is listed by Rivals as the No. 10 defensive tackle and No. 129 overall prospect nationally, is down to a final four of Boston College, Michi- gan, Penn State and Pittsburgh. Out of those four schools, Rooks is the most familiar with Michigan. Rooks' sister, Taylor, was a graduate transfer on the Michigan women's bas- ketball team during the 2018-19 season. Rooks has also visited Michigan more than any other program and even took a self-guided tour of U-M last month. "Michigan is great," Rooks said. "It has all of it. Coach Nua is a great guy. Coach Harbaugh is a great guy. My sister went there for her grad year. I know a little more about them than anybody else." With a decision on the horizon, both Harbaugh and Nua have been making their final pitches. "With Coach Nua, we've been watching a lot of film," Rooks said. "We're seeing where I fit in the sys- tem. He's said that I'm a multi-role guy. I can be a strongside end or slide down to a three-technique [tackle] if I get a little bigger. I really appreciate what they are doing and how they are approaching me. "My birthday was [Sept. 4], and [Harbaugh] called me and wished me a happy birthday, which I appre- ciated. It's all love there. He's a great guy. He does a lot great stuff for his program. He has a lot of guys that got to the pros. He knows what he's doing. He's coached in the NFL." The last top-of-the-board prospect that Michigan is in true contention with at this time is Rivals100 Los Angeles Loyola cornerback Ceyair Wright, who is looking to take his de- cision all the way down to February. If the dead period lifts in January and the Wolverines can get him on campus, they will have a legitimate shot of pulling him from out West. The country's No. 6 cornerback and No. 95 overall prospect per Rivals loves Michigan's blend of elite aca- demics and athletics. The next step is simply making it to Ann Arbor. "Michigan is up there for sure," Wright said. "It's a great school. They have a great football team and great academics. It's hard to pass that up. I have some friends up there like Darion [Green-Warren, a U-M freshman]. I hope to see him succeeding. But Michi- gan is just a great place. Hopefully, I get the chance [to visit]. I want to see the campus, the facilities and all of that." Wright is also strongly considering Oregon, Notre Dame, Stanford, USC and a handful of other major programs. Of course, more recruits could pop up on Michigan's radar as the cycle continues down the home stretch. The Wolverines could also move up the list for prospects considered long shots such as four-star Ewa Beach (Hawai'i) Campbell athlete Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, who currently sits at the top of the safety board. Overall, Michigan could look to bring in another offensive lineman or wide receiver. Ideally, the Wolverines would like to close with two more prospects in the secondary, but the board looks thin at this time. Again, spots are limited, but Har- baugh and company have already put together an elite class. Adding the fin- ishing touches is all that's left to do. ❏ Oak Park (Mich.) High four-star defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is ranked as the No. 90 overall prospect in the land and has been on U-M's radar for a long time. He likes the fact that Michigan was one of the first schools to recruit him for defense. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM