The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 65 F ormer Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh once referred to two freshmen, who had yet to play a snap of college foot- ball, as "gifts from the football gods." Although Harbaugh did not identify those Wolverines when he first made that comment, he later revealed he was referring to de- fensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. And he couldn't have been more right. Graham and Grant were goli- aths in the interior for Michigan the past three seasons. Graham flashed immediately as a fresh- man, with his technique and stam- ina popping on tape, before form- ing into a two-time All-American and finalist for the Outland and Nagurski trophies. Grant, who can chase down running backs from behind at 6-foot-3 and 339 pounds, is an athletic marvel that became more disruptive and sound each year, ending on the All-America third team. They were core pieces to Michi- gan's national title run in 2023, and NFL executives were salivating over them when they declared early, picking both in the first 13 picks of the draft. With Graham and Grant now taking their talents to the pros, a natural ques- tion has been about how the Wolverines will replace arguably the best defensive tackle duo the program has ever had. While U-M may not have two of them waiting in the wings, there is another ready to soar on his own. Grad student defensive tackle Ray- shaun Benny played in Graham's and Grant's gigantic shadows, but if one looked close enough, they would have seen Benny is already an elite player. Benny shined as a reserve last season after being above-average in that role his first two years. As a redshirt fresh- man and sophomore in 2022 and 2023, he earned 164 and 244 total snaps — about 13 and 17 per game, respectively, as part of a heavy rotation. He had a knack for being Michigan's weapon against zone-blocking teams, partic- ularly on outside zone runs. He has a quick first step and excels at slicing up- field to slow runners trying to get to the edge for a loss. Last season, as a senior, Benny put more of a complete package on tape with greater responsibilities. He av- eraged about 30 snaps per game with 327 total in 11 appearances, nearly dou- bling his snaps the prior two years. Even though his stat totals seemed similar in 2023 and 2024 — he had 35 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2023 and 45 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2024 — he impacted games so much more beyond those numbers. Benny's run defense shut down all types of schemes, not just plays with zone blocks. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), his Run Defense grade skyrocketed from 71.8 and 70.0 in 2022 and 2023, respectively, to an incredible 87.5 in 2024. His Run Defense grade tied with Grant for 13th nationally among all qualified defensive interior linemen last year — Graham was first, of course, with a 92.6 grade. Benny also became a bigger nuisance to quarterbacks with his pass rush. Af- ter combining for 14 pressures on 222 pass rushes (6.3 percent) in 2022 and 2023, he accumulated 20 on 202 rushes (9.9 percent) in 2024. He retooled the first step that was so lethal against outside zone runs earlier in his career to cause havoc in the middle of the pocket for signal-callers. Nota- bly, his most effective contest as a rusher was his last one last season — the one without Graham and Grant. In a start in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama, he had a career-high 5 pressures — 2 hits and 3 hurries — that were instru- mental to Michigan getting out to an early lead and holding on to it. As a result, Benny finished with an overall PFF Defensive grade of 83.1. This was 18th among all qualified defensive tackles — Gra- ham was first (91.3), and Grant was tied for 15th (83.7). Furthermore, it was the seventh-best grade among all such defensive tackles who are return- ing this season, and only two with a bet- ter returning grade played in a Power Four league — Alabama's Tim Keenan III (85.6 on 466 snaps) and Clemson's Peter Woods (83.7 on 395 snaps). Though he started only twice last year and has only one more in his ca- reer, Benny is one of the most proven, talented returning defensive tackles in all of college football. If he had not shared time with two of the best to ever do it in Ann Arbor, Benny would already be a household name in the region, if not nationally. He has the skill and tal- ent. Now, he will have the opportunity. Benny, with help from senior edge Der- rick Moore and others on the defensive line, will demonstrate that the drop-off on that unit without Graham and Grant will not be so drastic. Benny should be able to step right into his starting role as another "gift" from the football gods. ❑ INSIDE THE NUMBERS ❱ DREW HALLETT The Football Gods' Next 'Gift' Fifth-year senior Rayshaun Benny has the third-best 2024 Pro Football Focus defensive grade (83.1) of any returning Power Four defensive tackle in the country. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @DrewCHallett.