2021 LSU Football Recruit Rayshaun Benny Says Relationship With Coaching Staff is “Strong”
Rayshaun Benny took a lot of pleasure watching the transformation of the LSU offensive line in 2019. En route to the Tigers national championship, Benny was watching from a distance as LSU controlled the battle in the trenches every week.
One player in particular he enjoyed watching was guard Damien Lewis.
"He's nasty," Penny said. "I think that's one of the biggest parts of my game because there's no better feeling then making a dominant play."
The 2021 offensive line recruit uses that edge on the football field to his advantage and it's paid off as a number of top programs are chomping at the bit to have him commit to their teams.
A few of the schools that have shown Benny the most interest in recent weeks have been Penn State, Arkansas, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. Benny says he also speaks on a weekly basis with LSU offensive line coach James Cregg and coach Ed Orgeron every two weeks.
His relationship with Cregg in particular is very strong as he was one of the first coaches that recruited Benny from the start of his process.
"He was the one who offered me so we've always had a good relationship," Benny said. "He had belief in me before a lot of other people did so that always meant a lot to me."
Recently the day-to-day conversations have revolved around Benny's return to practice at Oak Park High School but the two have also talked about what his role could look like with the team and what his strengths are as an offensive lineman.
"They think I can move around to different positions on the o-line so if I were to go there and play guard but they need a center for some situations, then I'd be able to play there to," Benny said. "They're pretty flexible on where exactly they want me but it'll be somewhere on the inside."
As far as his recruitment, Benny plans on cutting his list down in the near future but doesn't want to commit until he has a chance to visit a few more schools, LSU being one of them. While he hasn't yet been on the campus yet, the Tigers have given him a virtual tour so he can see a little bit more of the facilities.
"I was supposed to visit in March but obviously that didn't happen," Benny said. "Whenever me and coach Cregg are on the phone, he might turn the camera around and show me where he is on campus or around the training room. Seeing the campus in person is something I really want to do though because I feel like I won't really get a good feel unless I see it."
Heading into his senior year, Benny feels he's one of the best finishers in the country, something he's been told by other coaches as well. He 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, Benny is currently a four-star prospect on 247Sports and the No. 19 ranked offensive tackle.
Because he plays both ways, this offseason Benny has been trying to get his conditioning up to par. A few schools have shown interest in Benny as a defensive tackle prospect so he's also focused on trying to improve his technique on the d-line.
Though Oak Park is primarily a run heavy program, pass block is one of the areas that Benny feels has improved exponentially since his time as a freshman. LSU of course is a pass heavy offense in its own right but Benny feels his improved play has been shown on the field, particularly as a junior when he only surrendered one sack.
"I only gave up one sack last year so this year I'm striving for no sacks," Benny said. "I always want the ball to come to my side, I want my running back to always come to my side because the holes will be there for him. I feel like I'm up there with the best of them in regards to pass blocking but there's still work to be done."
Playing against top level opponents like he would certainly face in the SEC as a member of the Tigers has always been the goal for Benny.
"The experience of playing in Baton Rouge for LSU, it'd feel good and all but I'd snap back into the reality that I'm still gonna work because they're a dominant team that wins," Benny said. "Knowing that you'd be going against some of the best schools every week and some of the best players in practice would be great for my development."
