The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 63 2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE MASON GRAHAM DEFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-3 • 292 SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL ANAHEIM, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 304 37 22 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 49 33 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 207 25 16 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 160 11* 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 72* 71 * Ranked at defensive tackle STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks 2021 60 22 14 2020 9 2 2 2019 34 3 2 HONORS • Helped Servite to a 10-3 record in 2021 and a No. 5 national ranking by MaxPreps. • Los Angeles Times High School Foot- ball Player of the Year as a senior. • Selected Trinity League Most Valu- able Lineman as a senior. • 2021 MaxPreps second-team All- American honoree. • Selected as a Polynesian Bowl All- Star in his senior season. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Sept. 16, 2021 one month after receiving his offer. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Oregon and USC. Previously commit- ted to Boise State before flipping. • Recruited by former defensive line coach Shaun Nua. DID YOU KNOW? • Is an early enrollee at Michigan. • Is a two-time Trinity League heavy- weight wrestling champion. • Born Sept. 2, 2003. THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "I wouldn't be surprised if Mason Graham saw the field early. … He's a guy who is probably closer to his ceiling from a development perspective, just with the coaching he's received and his technique. " • Servite head coach Troy Thomas: "The guy made huge plays in every game. He's the best lineman I've ever coached and might be the best player. He's special." BY EJ HOLLAND Mason Graham finished his high school career as one of the most accomplished defensive players in the country. The On3 Consensus four-star Michi- gan defensive tackle signee racked up 60 tackles and 14 sacks as a senior en route to being named the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year and leading national power- house Anaheim Servite to a deep run in the California state playoffs and No. 5 fin- ish in the MaxPreps national rankings. Graham enrolled at Michigan in Janu- ary and spent a week working out with the team before flying out to Honolulu for the Polynesian Bowl All-Star Game. "It's pretty cool," Graham said. "Play- ing in Hawaii is the best opportunity you can get. We had two months off, so it was good to get back after things. My grandma lives here, so I come out here once a year. It's just a great opportunity to play one last game before starting things at Michigan." Graham, who is ranked as the No. 37 defensive lineman and No. 304 overall prospect nationally by the On3 Consen- sus, flipped from Boise State to Michigan in the fall after taking an official visit to Ann Arbor. He remained solid to the Wol- verines throughout the process despite earning late offers from Oregon and USC — two major programs closer to home. Despite losing defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, defensive line coach Shaun Nua and director of player per- sonnel Courtney Morgan, who played a big role in his decision, Graham remains happy with his decision stay with U-M. "Michigan has a top-tier education," Graham said. "It's one of the top public schools in the country. I also love the fact that it's a college town. There are always fun things going on there. I went to the Washington game, and the environment is great. There were 110,00 fans, and it was a Maize-out. It was really cool." Graham had a chance to briefly meet new Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston during one of his initial workouts in Ann Arbor and is looking forward to getting to know him. "Me and some of the other guys were working out, and he walked in while we were lifting," Graham said. "We all intro- duced ourselves. I don't really know much about him, but he seems like a cool dude. Coach Nua was a good guy and a good coach. He was up front about why he left, but I'm excited for the future." While Michigan is still in the process of hiring a defensive coordinator, Graham should get in the defensive line rotation early on. He projects best as a powerful three-technique who also can play nose if needed. A true gem in the class, he could quickly outplay his ranking in Ann Arbor. "He's ready to roll," said Servite assis- tant coach Rudy Cambero. "I think he's a plug-and-play guy at the next level. I've had coaches from other top programs here in Southern California — our rivals — use the word 'elite' with Mason Graham." ❑ 'Elite' Mason Graham Should Continue To Thrive in Ann Arbor Graham notched 60 tackles and 14 sacks as a senior en route to being named the Los Angeles Time Player of the Year and lead- ing Anaheim Servite to a No. 5 finish in the MaxPreps national rankings. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2022 Projection Graham comes to Michigan quite polished, with the ability to be plugged in on the defensive line al- most immediately if needed. High floor with a somewhat limited ceil- ing since he's maxed out from a size perspective, but he should still have a very productive college career. Projects to play along the interior of Michigan's defensive line and could very well earn a role in the rotation as a freshman. consensus