#55 Mason Bennett
DE
Redshirt Freshman – Winnipeg, MB
6’4″-230

Last season (2015) – redshirted.

Rumors

Even though defensive line is the deepest position group on the team, the Hawks still need to have play makers that can make a difference on their own.

Do they have some playmakers right now?  Definitely.  Brandon Dranka, Noah Johnson, Austin Cieslak, and Drew Greely in particular have shown the ability to make big plays.  Johnson is probably the best pass rusher of the group.

Being UND runs a 3-4 defense, it means often times the defensive linemen can get consumed with double teams or caught up in the interior clutter.

Mason Bennett is the type of player that can beat the guy across from him, escaping the clutter, and disrupt the play in the backfield.  He has the size at 6’4″-230 and the twitch to make explosive plays without any help from the play calling.

Another added benefit that we feel will benefit the UND defense greatly is the ability to have a guy like Bennett rushing off the edge in their dime package.  He can be kicked out to a 6-7 technique and go one-on-one with the offensive tackle, which is one of his strengths.

Bennett is still a freshman so there will be a large learning curve this fall.  He will need to learn how to hold up vs. the run on a consistent basis and to play with his hands, separate, etc.  Luckily, he has quality defensive linemen around him to learn from, along with a very good coach in Jordan Gigli.

The weakness of the UND defense in 2015 was vs. the pass.  Creating more pressure up front is a must in 2016.  This will directly help the young secondary by disrupting timing between the QB and WR.  Bennett is one of the guys that needs to do it if UND wants to be a playoff team.

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