Reports: 2019 DL Keeanu Benton commits to Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers’ class of 2019 appears to have gained one new verbal commit to start the weekend.

Rivals/BadgerBlitz.com’s Jon McNamara first reported on Friday night that Janesville, Wis. (Craig) defensive tackle Keeanu Benton verbally committed to Wisconsin. 247Sports’s Evan Flood later reported the decision as well.

Benton is not rated by either 247Sports or Rivals, but both recruiting services list him at 6’4 and 290 pounds with offers from Wisconsin and Iowa. Rivals lists special teams coach Chris Haering and defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield as the coaches who recruited the in-state product.

According to WisSports.net, Benton recorded 52 tackles, six for loss, along with two sacks in nine games last year.

As McNamara also noted, Benton excels not just on the football field, but on the mat in wrestling—finishing this past year as the runner-up to the WIAA Division 1 state championship at 285 pounds.

Benton’s commitment now makes eight players who have verbally pledged to Wisconsin for the class of 2019, which includes athlete Leo Chenal, quarterback Graham Mertz, offensive lineman Logan Brown, running back Julius Davis, offensive lineman Joe Tippmann, tight end Hayden Rucci and athlete Marcus Graham.

He is the third player from the state to commit to the Badgers, joining Chenal and Davis.