The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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36 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2025 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL considered the potential bridge quar- terback to Underwood with the two set to compete in spring camp for the start- ing job. The Wolverines also bolstered their stable of pass catchers with a pair of wide receivers in Donaven McCul- ley out of Indiana and Anthony Simpson from UMass. Simpson played under tight ends coach Steve Casula when he was the offensive coordinator at UMass in 2023. The offensive line haul includes Cal Poly tackle Brady Norton in addition to Ferris State guard Lawrence Hattar. The staff was still working on New Mexico State offensive tackle Shiyazh Pete as of Jan. 13. Pete was reportedly down to Ne- braska and Michigan. U-M also made a special teams addition with UCLA long snapper Trent Middleton. The transfer portal reopens this spring with a nine-day window to enter from April 16-25. — Anthony Broome MASON GRAHAM LEADS LIST OF MICHIGAN ALL-AMERICANS Michigan's rise back to being a college football power has been the result of out- standing players and coaches, evident in individual accolades in addition to team success. Defensive tackle Mason Graham was the latest to earn unanimous All-Amer- ica honors, the fifth straight season U-M has had one, following defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (2021), running back Blake Corum (2022), center Olu Olu- watimi (2023), and guard Zak Zinter last year. It's the first time ever U-M has had five or more different unanimous selections in five straight seasons. Graham is Michigan's first defensive tackle to be tabbed as a unanimous All- American since Mark Messner in 1988. He's also the Wolverines' 27th-ever unanimous All-American at any posi- tion. The 6-foot-3, 320-pounder declared for the NFL Draft in December and is a projected first-round selection. He to- taled 45 tackles, including 7 for loss and 3.5 sacks, along with 1 pass breakup this season. His 33 quarterback pressures tied for the fourth most among all defensive tackles nationally. Graham appeared in 39 games with 27 starts during his three-year career at Michigan. He totaled 107 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Other Michigan All-America honorees this season: • Junior kicker Dominic Zvada. He was the only other Wolverine to be named first team by one publication (Sporting News). The Associated Press tabbed the kicker as a second-team honoree. Zvada went 17 of 18 on field goals, in- cluding a 7-for-7 mark on tries of 50- plus yards that set a program record for both a single season and a career. • Junior cornerback Will Johnson. Johnson was recognized as a second- team honoree by the AFCA and Walter Camp, while the AP listed him on the third team. He was limited to just six games due to injury, but recorded 14 tackles, 3 pass breakups and had 2 inter- ceptions returned for touchdowns. • Junior tight end Colston Loveland. He was the team's leading receiver with 56 grabs for 582 yards and 5 touchdowns. He earned second-team recognition from the Football Writers Association of America. • Junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant was listed as a third-team All- American by the AP. The 6-foot-3, 339-pounder registered 32 tackles, 6.5 stops for loss and 3 sacks with 5 pass breakups this past season. He also de- clared for the 2025 NFL Draft. — Chris Balas 2025 MICHIGAN SCHEDULE Date Opponent Aug. 30 NEW MEXICO Sept. 6 at Oklahoma Sept. 13 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Sept. 20 at Nebraska Sept. 27 Bye Oct. 4 WISCONSIN Oct. 11 at USC Oct. 18 WASHINGTON Oct. 25 at Michigan State Nov. 1 PURDUE Nov. 8 Bye Nov. 15 at Northwestern Nov. 22 at Maryland Nov. 29 OHIO STATE Junior defensive tackle Mason Graham became the fifth straight Wolverine in as many seasons to earn unanimous All-America honors. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL