Wisconsin NT Keeanu Benton heading to the NFL Draft

The past few weeks have been beyond hectic for players, coaches, and fans of the Wisconsin Badgers football team. With early signing day and the Guaranteed Rate Bowl upcoming for the Badgers, things are unlikely to slow down though.

Mixed in with all the recruiting news, star nose tackle Keeanu Benton took to social media to announce that he will be entering the NFL Draft.

Benton shared a heartfelt post, saying:

“It’s been an honor to be a part of this awesome university for the past four years and I have no regrets about anything I did on or off the field. I have become a man at the University of Wisconsin and considered this my second home. First and foremost, I would like to thank God, without him none of this would be possible. I want to thank Coach K, Coach Chryst, and Coach Leonhard for setting me up to become the best player and person that I can be. I would also like to thank my teammates who have been in the grind with me and forming some bonds that can never be broken. And lastly thanks to the Badger fans that supported me and made Saturday at Camp Randall unforgettable. Being part of this Wisconsin Badger football team has taught me resiliency, passion, and dependability. I will never forget the time that I have spent here and the connections I have made along the way. So with that being said, my collegiate football career has come to an end and I will be declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.”

Benton will not play in the bowl game for Wisconsin, and he is now the fourth player to enter the NFL Draft from the Badgers. He joins seventh-year senior Justin Clark, redshirt junior Joe Tippmann, and fifth-year senior Jay Shaw, who previously announced within the past week.

This season, Benton recorded 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, all while routinely battling double teams inside the defensive line. One of the team captains for the Badgers in 2022, and he is one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. Earlier this week he earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors from the Associated Press, and he is set to participate in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl in January before heading to the NFL this season.

From Janesville (Wis.), Benton made the decision to come back to UW after receiving NFL interest a year ago, and it is far from a shock to see him enter his name into the draft this year.

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With Benton not participating in the bowl game, nose tackles Gio Paez and Curt Neal will have an opportunity for additional reps in bowl prep and will see the field more in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl with a chance to stand out to Luke Fickell and the new coaching staff.