Keeanu Benton had ½ sacks, tackles for loss and total tackles for the Badgers this season. He announced Friday he will skip Wisconsin s bowl game and enter the NFL draft.

MADISON – Nose tackle Keeanu Benton could have turned pro after the season, his third at Wisconsin.

The graduate of Janesville Craig High School chose to return to UW for his senior season for two reasons:

UW failed to win the Big Ten West and finished just - in the Big Ten, but Benton put together his best season with the Badgers and on Friday announced via Twitter he is entering the NFL draft. Benton could have returned for a fifth season because of the COVID year exception.

“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,” Benton wrote. “I have become a man at the University of Wisconsin and consider this my second home.”

Before examining the numbers Benton posted in , remember how well he played in UW’s double-overtime loss at Michigan State on Oct. .

Benton suffered a right-knee injury one week earlier at Northwestern and was limping throughout the Michigan State game. Yet he recorded five tackles and when he was on the field the Spartans struggled to open running lanes between the tackles.

Benton played in all regular-season games and posted ½ sacks, tackles for loss and total tackles, all personal-best marks at UW.

“First and most,” he wrote, “I would like to thank God, without him none of this would be possible.”

Benton also saluted defensive line coach Ross Kolodoziej, former head coach Paul Chryst and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

“I would also like to thank my teammates,” he wrote, “who have been in the grind with me and forming some bonds that can never be broken.

“And lastly, thanks to Badger fans that supported me and made Saturdays at Camp Randall unforgettable.”

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