Don’t overlook Michigan Football’s Mason Graham

Michigan football’s freshmen class is so talented, that it’s easy for some talented newcomers like Mason Graham to get overlooked. 

It’s justified for Michigan football fans to be a little concerned with the current state of the 2023 recruiting class, but looking back at the last two hauls, it’s easy to feel good about the future.

The 2021 recruiting class will probably wind up being Jim Harbaugh’s best. It featured not only five-star QB J.J. McCarthy but five-star running back Donovan Edwards, and a linebacker in Junior Colson, who for my book, should have been a five-star (I still think he’s got first-round ability), not to mention Andrel Anthony, Rayshaun Benny, Rod Moore…the list goes on and on.

But then the Wolverines backed it up with a really stellar 2022 recruiting class. There were concerns last summer about the group following a 2-4 campaign but once Michigan football proved that was a fluke in the fall, it closed strong and landed some absolute freaks.

Darrius Clemons, Derrick Moore, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, Keon Sabb, Tyler Morris, Amorion Walker, Mason Graham, and more. Again, it was a loaded class and many of the top guys enrolled early in the spring to get a jump on trying to play right away.

And while Jim Harbaugh opened some eyes with his comments about a current freshman being a “gift from the football gods” it’s easy for guys to get overlooked and one of them is Mason Graham.

A freshman DT to watch

Hell, I even overlooked him when I was breaking down defensive tackles. The Wolverines are so loaded up front, it’s pretty easy, but the guy who committed as a three-star, before blowing up and getting offers from USC and Oregon soon after his Michigan commitment, who is 6-foot-3, 292 pounds, is one to watch for the Wolverines in 2022.

Here’s what fellow freshman Will Johnson said to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider:

"“If you go back and watch the spring game and watch him go against probably the best center in the country, you’ll be able to see what I’m talking about. Just the way he can hold his own and it just looks effortless for him. It’s crazy seeing him go against seniors. Usually at that position it’s kind of hard to transition that fast, so him coming in that fast and being able to dominate is just crazy for me to see.”"

We have talked about how the interior pass rush should be better this season. That’s partly due to an increased focus on it by Mike Elston and also just better personnel. Graham is part of that and I’d expect him to play enough that he won’t have freshman eligibility left for 2022.

He’s that good and he could be one of the bigger early surprises of the 2022 class for Michigan football.