Michigan’s Mason Graham enters this season not only as one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten but also in the country. The junior will be a crucial piece to a Michigan defense that will be one of the best in the country.
Among lots of recognition this offseason, Graham was recently ranked the No.2 player in the Big Ten by BTN’s Jake Butt. The former Michigan tight end had some high praise for his fellow Wolverine.
“He’s a 300-plus pound guy, with long arms, great strength, and plays with elite leverage, making him hard to move,” Butt said. “But what about those double teams? You have to win by getting skinny. You also have to win with a great first step, anticipating the snap count and beating the linemen to their spot. This is something Graham does extremely well.”
Graham picked up 3.5 sacks in his sophomore year. He and fellow interior defensive lineman Kenneth Grant were a huge reason the Wolverines were great run-stoppers for last season’s national championship team and will take on an even more significant role this year.
The Wolverines will face some tough running backs in the Big Ten this season. Michigan will host No. 3 Oregon on Nov. 2, where they’ll have to stop 700+ yard rusher Jordan James. A couple of weeks later, they’ll take on one of the best running back duos in the country, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreyVeyon Henderson.
Michigan kicks off the Sherrone Moore era on Saturday, Aug. 31, against Fresno State in Ann Arbor. As a projected Mountain West championship contender, the Bulldogs are no pushover, so Graham and the defense will need to live up to expectations to start the season.