On Monday afternoon, four-star defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny committed to Michigan State. Benny, the sixth-ranked prospect in Michigan, was one of Jim Harbaugh’s top 2021 targets.
His commitment comes nine days after the Spartans beat Michigan, 27-24, in Ann Arbor. “My mind was already made at that point,” Benny, who has missed most of his senior season at Oak Park due to a lower leg injury, told reporters. “It was just icing on the cake.”
He added: “I was able to tell the difference with the program (under coach Mel Tucker) from the old staff, and that’s what I look forward to.”
With one month until early signing day, a Michigan is still without a defensive tackle commit in its 2021 class, which is headlined by five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Its top target in the class is widely considered to be four-star running back Donovan Edwards from West Bloomfield. Edwards excluded Michigan State from his top 7 last month. Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State and Oklahoma are the schools he is still considering.
For Michigan, missing on Benny makes Edwards even more important as Harbaugh aims to reclaim in-state dominance on the recruiting trail.