Big Ten Football Top 150 Players: No. 134, Michael Bennett, Ohio State DE

134. Michael Bennett, No. 63, DE, Ohio State
2011 stats: 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 QB hurry

Strengths

Bennett burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2011, logging 17 tackles and five tackles for loss at defensive tackle. With the glut of talent on the defensive line this season, Bennett has moved to defensive end and practiced with the first team there in the spring.

After a spring game performance with two tackles and a sack, he was even one of a few players selected by Urban Meyer to take questions from the press.

Weaknesses

The production's not really there yet for Bennett; he failed to register more than one tackle in 10 of his 13 games played last season. Bennett said he wasn't satisfied with his spring game production, and Meyer may not have been either. Also, come fall, Bennett's got to keep his starting spot from Nathan Williams and a trio of talented true freshman defensive ends.

2012 Prediction

Bennett should probably hang onto the starting DE spot going into the season. Williams has been out of practice for a significant amount of time as he recovers from knee surgery and none of the incoming ends have Bennett's size or physicality yet. 

However, from there Bennett must make the most of his playing time because his will be one of the most hotly contested of starting positions on the entire team. Bennett's no slouch, though, and we expect significant production from him in 2012.