Tag: Kechaun Bennett

2024 Season Countdown: #58 Kechaun Bennett

Name: Kechaun Bennett
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 257 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Bennett #71 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He made 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.
TTB Rating: 78

Bennett has been a somewhat forgotten name on Michigan’s roster for the past few years. He seemed to have a decent spring prior to 2023, but that didn’t result in a ton of playing time; he played in just five games on defense, while playing in six more on special teams. Michigan lost a couple players on the edge going into that season, and they’ve lost a couple more (Braiden McGregor, Jaylen Harrell) going into 2024.

But there’s still not much buzz about Bennett, unfortunately. Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart are the starting edge players, and the next Guy people are talking about is T.J. It’s not clear how the rest of the depth chart will play out, and Bennett will probably see an uptick in playing time. My guess is that Guy and Cameron Brandt will make up the second unit, with Bennett and a few others vying for the third team. Ultimately, it’s good to have a veteran presence for depth purposes, but there doesn’t seem to be a breakout coming for Bennett.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

2023 Season Countdown: #71 Kechaun Bennett

If you would like to support TTB monetarily, please use this here Paypal button:

Name: Kechaun Bennett
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 241 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Bennett #59 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He played in three games.
TTB Rating: 78

Bennett’s 2022 season was a very quiet one. Buried pretty low on the depth chart, he played in Michigan’s first three games of the season, all of which were massive blowouts. Then he disappeared for the rest of the year. Michigan had a great defensive season and they stayed mostly injury-free at the edge positions, so he was never really in the running to play in a backup role, either.

There was a little bit of excitement this spring about the way Bennett played, so maybe he’s finally coming around in year three. His listed weight is the same as last season and he’s actually one inch shorter at 6’4″ than he was listed last year. But he made 3 tackles in the spring game and also got a QB hurry on Jack Tuttle that forced an interception. The depth chart is a little friendlier in 2023 than it was in 2022, so that’s good news for Bennett: Mike Morris (NFL), Taylor Upshaw (Arizona), and Eyabi Okie (Charlotte) all departed, while Josaiah Stewart was added from Coastal Carolina. But Bennett is still probably a third-stringer at best.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

Potential Early Departures: Defense

With the onslaught of transfer portal entries in college football, it’s inevitable that Michigan will face some more departures this off-season. Four players have already announced their intentions to transfer, and two (Cade McNamara and Erick All to Iowa) have already found a landing spot. Quarterback Alan Bowman and tight end Louis Hansen are both headed for, ahem, greener pastures.

McNamara and All are both somewhat unique cases of players who played a lot but felt slighted in some way, but Bowman and Hansen are more typical cases of players buried on the depth chart who want to see some light at the end of the tunnel. This post explores several players in similar situations who may find better situations elsewhere.

You can find the version for the offensive side of the ball here (LINK).

DISCLAIMER: This post is speculative in nature and not intended to encourage/discourage any player from leaving Michigan’s program. The reality is that college football is now a lot like unrestricted free agency from year to year.

LB JOEY VELAZQUEZ
Why he should stay: Velazquez is a solid two-sport athlete who’s having a decent impact on the baseball field with Michigan’s baseball team. His playing time on the field has increased yearly from one game in 2020 to seven games in 2021 to eleven games so far in the 2022 season. He is a steady contributor on special teams and has made a career-high 6 tackles.
Why he might leave: Playing time has been difficult to find on defense, and he has never risen above third string on defense. He was immediately passed by freshman Jimmy Rolder this fall, and the commitment of Ernest Hausmann probably does not bode well for the staff’s faith in Velazquez contributing on defense in 2023. Velazquez only has one season of eligibility remaining, and he may want to go somewhere he can compete for a starting job, which is extremely unlikely in Ann Arbor.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Season Countdown: #59 Kechaun Bennett

Name: Kechaun Bennett
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 241 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Bennett #90 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 78

Bennett missed out on his senior season of football due to COVID, so last year was his first season of football since 2019. I expected him to be behind because of that, and whether his trajectory was changed much or not, he only played in one game last season.

Michigan needs some young guys to step up at the edge positions. We know that Jaylen Harrell, Mike Morris, and Taylor Upshaw are going to play, but those guys got time last year even with Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo on the roster. Now that Morris and Harrell are likely to step up in big ways, who will be the 2022 versions? I have Bennett below the likes of Julius Welschof, Braiden McGregor, and T.J. Guy, but he could start to get some more snaps this season.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

2021 Season Countdown: #90 Kechaun Bennett

Name: Kechaun Bennett
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #52
Last year: Bennett was a senior in high school (LINK). His senior season was canceled due to COVID.
TTB Rating: 78

Connecticut high schoolers lost their 2021 season to COVID, which is unfortunate for them all. It also throws a little bit of a wrench into projecting them forward. I liked Bennett when he committed to Michigan, but I did not give him a TTB Rating. As a defensive lineman with skinny legs and a lot of weight to eventually add, he was not close to his physical ceiling as a junior in high school. But I do like his athleticism, quickness, and physicality.

As a freshman at Michigan who did not enroll early, my guess is that Bennett will remain raw and will need time to develop. He might even need more time than originally expected, considering he missed a full season of development. With Michigan’s move from a 4-man front to a 3-4, I think Bennett will become an outside linebacker where it seems Michigan has a fair amount of depth. The Wolverines should be able to give Bennett at least a year to train his body and mind for a role that could come once Aidan Hutchinson graduates after the 2021 season.

Prediction: Redshirt