Key Wisconsin Badgers: No. 7 - Defensive tackle Keeanu Benton

Wisconsin's 2021 football season is right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 30 players who we think will be the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.

Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.

Keeanu Benton burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2019. The Janesville Craig (WI) product tallied a pair of sacks and four tackles for loss, showcasing the type of disruption he can provide on the inside. Benton has played in 19 games with 11 starts at nose tackle during his first two years in Madison. At 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds, Benton can be a dominant player up front as both a run stopper and pass rusher.

"Keeanu is special. A really special player and we’re fortunate to have him. Excited to be able to coach and work with him," first-year defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej told reporters in the spring. "He’s got great athleticism and a really great understanding of pressure and how to use his body and use blockers position and momentum against them. Really, the guy has an upside. Not many guys come in here with the talent, ability and ceiling that he has."

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard estimated his defense is in nickel around 70 percent of the time which, at times, limited Benton's impact. In an alignment with five defensive backs and just two lineman, the former three-star recruit had just 173 snaps this past season, according to Pro Football Focus. He's a proven playmaker but his ceiling is hurt with a lack of flexibility. That, though, could change in 2021.

Benton will be leaned on this fall as one of two returning defensive linemen with starting experience under his belt. He can provide a boost to the pass rush while also helping to maintain a stout run defense.

"Keeanu, he’s a special player. Since he got here, he was able to put his body in certain positions and do certain things other young guys couldn’t do. And now that he’s transitioning into one of the older guys, we’re expecting him to be more of a playmaker than he has been in the past," senior Matt Henningsen said. "He’s an exceptional leader, an exceptional person, an exceptional teammate and the whole group, the d-line, we mesh together, we’re having a lot of fun."

An emphasis for Kolodziej has been to allow his players up front to "eat," and Benton could be primed for a big season leading the group up front. With another impressive showing, he could even set himself up for the NFL Draft in 2022.