A Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle is entering the draft

The Wisconsin Badgers crew for their Guaranteed Rate Bowl game later this month will be slim. The Badgers have seen plenty of turnover on the roster after Luke Fickell was hired. Center Joe Tippmann declared for the draft on Thursday. Friday morning, a Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle declared for the 2023 NFL Draft as well.

According to Keeanu Benton’s Twitter page, he will take his skills to the NFL next season. He wrote that his college career came to an “end,” so he won’t be going to the bowl game.

“BADGER NATION,
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 CONSIDER THIS MY SECOND HOME. FIRST AND FOR MOST 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 SATURDAYS AT CAMP RANDALL UNFORGETTABLE.

BEING A 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 DECLARING FOR THE 2023 NFL DRAFT.

ON, WISCONSIN!”

Love you Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/rWFeTsD8b0

— Keeanu Benton (@keeanu_benton) December 9, 2022

Benton had an excellent season for the Badgers in 2022. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. Benton recorded 4.5 sacks this season and 35 total tackles. He will end his career in Madison with nine total sacks and 19 tackles for loss.

According to The Draft Network, Benton is likely to go near the third round of the draft.