Wisconsin NT Keeanu Benton having fun, but remains 'a scary sight'

Leo Chenal admitted he was not going to "spoil it for anybody," but Keeanu Benton is "a scary sight."

Chenal, a fellow class of 2019 signee for Wisconsin, saw what the third-year Badger did in front of him, especially last season as a first-time starter at inside linebacker. Chenal divulged just a bit of what he sees in the Janesville (WI) Craig product.

"Just seeing him on film, he can really rip an offensive line apart," Chenal told BadgerBlitz.com on Aug. 20. "He's got the most aggressive hands I've ever seen, I think. You see some guys like, ‘Oh, that's a great defensive lineman. He's eating up those two blocks.’

"He's not just taking on two blocks, he's ripping those blockers apart, so having him is definitely a great asset."

A few days later, outside linebacker Nick Herbig described Benton as "a menace to society."

"He's a dude you don't want to be lined up against because he's just gonna cause havoc every single play," Herbig said on Aug. 23, "and he's bringing bad intentions every time he puts that chinstrap on."

Herbig recalled a fall camp practice where he had "a bad day," according to the second-year edge rusher. Then Benton showcased his prowess and disruptive abilities.

"The whole defense was having a bad day, and Keeanu just turned up and he had like three TFLs in a row," Herbig said. "He was like a madman possessed. It was great to see. I love seeing that."

Reporters saw Benton's talents during seven of the eight open fall camp practices as he affected Wisconsin's offense during 11-on-11 periods. Testimony from his teammates further back up his play on Wisconsin's defensive line.

Safety Scott Nelson called out Benton as one of three players standing out during the first week of fall camp. The fifth-year defensive back believed the nose tackle was "playing with a different energy, a different attitude."

"I feel like he's taken that next step to being one of the most dominant d-linemen and nose guards in the country," Nelson told BadgerBlitz.com on Aug. 13.

But within that determined and dynamic skill set on the field - and another year of maturation under his belt - Benton also showed a lighter side in camp. Chenal described him as a 'funny guy" who has an "amazing personality," according to the inside linebacker.

Redshirt senior defensive end Matt Henningsen saw firsthand how Benton has grown.

"You can tell he's having fun while he's out there, and that's the biggest thing with Keeanu," Henningsen told BadgerBlitz.com on Aug. 20. "That's how he leads by just having fun and being himself and just doing his thing, right?"

Benton displayed that light-hearted nature in a couple of ways in August. First, he and his fellow defensive linemen debated questions and each other during the team's "Camp Cam" that circulated throughout the football program's social media channels.

Another example came during one particular practice when the former prep wrestling standout -- who registered back-to-back WIAA runner-up accolades in 2018 and 2019 -- tried to shoot a single-leg takedown of nose tackle Bryson Williams. The senior quickly worked to dodge his teammate.

Benton just seems to be enjoying himself at the moment.

"It's amazing. You know, I can't just come out here and then think about the day as being bad. That's gonna make this work," Benton told BadgerBlitz.com on Aug. 23. "I don't see this as work. This is fun for me, so when I'm doing something I love, it's not really work. It's just out here having fun. Bryson always likes to test me with wrestling a little bit, so had to put him in his place, and he don’t want to mess with me anymore.

"But it's fun out here, man. I'm not so much trying to learn the playbook more. My mind is not everywhere so I still can do what I need to do and also have fun and make sure everybody else is having fun."

Benton played 20 total games the last two years, only missing the 2019 loss at Illinois. Though he did not record a sack or tackle for loss statistically in 2020, he registered two and four, respectively, during his freshman season a year prior.

Now, Benton approaches his junior campaign with a positive and healthy outlook.

"Physically, I feel great," Benton said. "You know, my body's feeling good. I took my recovery to the next level this season, and I feel like that has paid off right now. Third week of fall camp, usually people's bodies are breaking down on them, but I feel like I've been keeping up with it and keeping up with the playbook as well, so I feel like I'm at a great starting point for this season."

Benton, a former three-star recruit who committed to Wisconsin in May 2018, detailed out his recovery work, discussing how he stretches both his hips and back after each practice, along with going in the cold and hot tubs in the mornings and ensuring he stays "loose" during the day.

The in-state product's schedule involved arriving two hours early before practice, but after that, he stayed two additional hours afterwards for what he called "prehab."

"So like getting in there, making sure my whole body is good before any injuries do happen," Benton said. "Making sure I'm good everywhere."

That translated to the field in allowing Benton to be, as he described it, "loose" -- and with the body feeling well, he noted how one can "move fast and relentless."

Other improvements that he has seen from last year to fall camp have been his footwork and aggressiveness in his hands with his pass rush. His footwork was "a little wishy-washy," according to Benton.

"But sometimes I'll be trying to run straight down the man and then trying to work the edge at the same time with my hands," Benton said. "So I'm trying to do two different things with my mind and my body, and it just didn't work. But now, I'm practicing that more and more, and I feel like it's paying off amazingly."

Benton also saw himself grow in trying to lead his teammates, but it also helped him learn more about the assignments of others surrounding him on the field.

"I'm teaching people with the plays, and I'm like, ‘Oh, I didn't know that,' Benton said. "So I'm picking up new things and learning what the linebackers are doing and learning what the ends are doing.

"At first when I came here, I just knew nose [tackle], and I knew nose great, you know. But now as I see everybody and what they're doing around me, it makes it way easier in order for me to make my moves and things like that."

Benton worked not just as the No. 1 nose tackle during fall camp, but also emerged with Henningsen as the first lineman duo up in Wisconsin's nickel subpackage. UW utilized that five-defensive back look almost 70% of the time last year, defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard told reporters in March. If the in-state native can stay on the field in multiple packages and disrupt not just opponent's run games by eating up blockers, but also penetrate and create pressure in the passing attack, that will only provide further matchup problems for UW to exploit.

Last week, head coach Paul Chryst praised how Benton approaches each day and stated that when watching any practice tape, his lineman is "gonna do something." Some plays will result in, as Chryst termed it, "a production point" as seen with Herbig's aforementioned anecdote, but an equal amount of other impressive reps do not.

"I just love the way he comes about, and he continues to grow, and I think Ross [Kolodziej] has done a great job of kind of coaching that group," Chryst said on Aug. 24. "Keeanu’s in that kind of neat part of his maturation as a player, where I think he's understanding and knowing. Here's a guy, he knows what he's preparing for, right? He's gone through a lot of things so I think the small coaching points make a difference, and he can apply those.

"Love the way that he started this year and excited to see his continued growth, because he's a guy that I think can make a big impact for this team."

Just what are Benton's expectations for himself this season?

"I just want to be a great leader. You know, make sure everybody [is] having fun and also dominate on the field. That's my main goal."