SI All-American Candidate Kechaun Bennett Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DE Kechaun Bennett
Projected Position: Defensive End
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
School: Suffield (Conn.) Suffield Academy
Committed to: Michigan
Frame: Athletic frame with solid definition. Long arms and straight torso. Decent bubble and thighs with straight calves.
Athleticism: Has a wrestling background. Has twitch in lower half with good snap quickness to jump on top of blockers and reduce ground. Agile and coordinated athlete with easy agility and spring in step. Above-average cornering ability to passers. Good long speed to chase and quick to close on ball-carriers.
Instincts: Flashes good awareness and is alert for cut-blocks and playside pulls. Locates ball well versus run and plays with noticeable motor and effort. Can ward off bottom trash in pursuit. Pass-rush arsenal and plan is heavily based off his speed rush. Quick to recognize over-sets by offensive tackles to counter with inside slip.
Polish: Plays traditional DE in 4-man front on left and right side. Pass-rush plan/toolbox consists of speed rush, a decent speed-to-power with an arm-over to counter, along with an upfield sell with speed to convert to inside slip. Needs to be more violent with inside rip. Light frame with limited strength and anchor ability, as he may have issues shedding blocks. Appears uncertain versus secondary blocks when pass-rushing.
Bottom Line: Speed, quickness and athleticism are Bennett’s top attributes. He can jump on top of a blocker in a hurry on the edges and has the ability to hunt ball-carriers with range. His strength and power are not elite, yet he hustles with a motor that runs hot. Bennett fits best as a weak-side defensive end in a defense with single-gap concepts.