The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1340560
2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY AUSTIN FOX The Northeast has become one of Michigan's primary recruiting grounds over the past several years, with significant contributors such as defensive end Kwity Paye (Rhode Is- land), fullback Ben Mason (Connecti- cut) and redshirt junior right guard/ tackle Andrew Stueber (Connecticut) all hailing from New England. The Wolverines have had tremen- dous success recruiting Connecticut, in particular, with the unanimous No. 1 player in the state for 2021 — Suffield (Conn.) Academy four-star defensive end Kechaun Bennett — being the most recent example of that trend. Former U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown helped lay the founda- tion for Michigan's success in the re- gion after coaching out East in some capacity every single year from 1977- 2015. The 65-year-old Brown served as Bennett's primary recruiter to Ann Arbor, but was let go Dec. 22. "Kechaun has tremendous respect for Coach Brown, but he also has immense respect for the University of Michigan as a whole," Suffield Academy head coach Drew Gamere explained. "Going to a football pro- gram with as much history and tradi- tion as Michigan has is special, and Kechaun realizes that. "The academics piece was also ap- pealing to him, and that was an im- portant aspect for me as well." Bennett will already be well-versed in handling the rigors that come along with a challenging football and academic workload, thanks to the way Suffield Academy prepares its students for life after graduation. "What's paramount to us is being a dynamic academic environment, in addition to playing great football," Gamere noted. "We want our gradu- ates to not only shoot for the best football opportunities, but to also keep the full picture of academics in mind wherever they're studying. Michigan is top notch in that regard." In addition to U-M's high aca- demic standards, one of the primary reasons Bennett signed with the Wol- verines, according to Gamere, was head coach Jim Harbaugh and the bond the two built. A connection between Harbaugh's staff and the coaches at Suffield Academy had been established prior to the 2021 recruiting cycle, though, with two of Bennett's former team- mates already residing on Michigan's 2020 roster in rising fifth-year senior safety Brad Hawkins and redshirt freshman walk-on wideout Will Ro- lapp. Gamere admitted the familiar- ity his program had with the staffers at Michigan was another aspect that sold Bennett on the Maize and Blue. "My first contact with Coach Har- baugh was when Brad was being recruited, and I had known Coach Brown for a long time before that," Gamere explained. "They've come after a few of our other guys as well, so we've been connected with them plenty of times in the past. "We have such a great respect for the football Michigan plays and the coaches they employ, and I think Ke- chaun saw that admiration and how genuine it was." The 6-4, 220-pounder also had the luxury of visiting the Ann Arbor U-M Continues Its New England Pipeline With Connecticut's Finest, Kechaun Bennett Bennett was unanimously rated the No. 1 player in the state of Connecticut for the class of 2021 by all three major recruiting services, two of which listed him as a four-star prospect. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM 36 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2021 2021 Projection Bennett is not expected to see the field as a freshman, and will likely need to bulk up a bit before he can make an impact in the Big Ten. At 6-4, 220 pounds, working out in a college weight room with head strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert will be key for Bennett's progression. Suffield (Conn.) Academy head coach Drew Gamere "Kechaun is just a tremendous athlete for his size and posi- tion. He has great length, is so explosive and does a great job finishing tackles. He also has a knack for making big plays."