The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 25 2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW terback Kyle McCord that led to Rod Moore's interception that secured a win over Ohio State; in the CFP National Championship win over Washington, Graham's hit on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led to a Will Johnson intercep‑ tion to start the second half, and that came after he was named Rose Bowl De‑ fensive MVP after dominating play in a 27‑20 overtime win against Alabama. It was then that NFL teams started to take note of him. Cleveland Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire told Cleveland.com he had talked to the scouts after seeing Graham in action, and "they were already all over him." He was everything they hoped he'd be when he arrived as the team's first‑ round pick this year. "When they step in that building, you get to see their habits every day, who this person is," Cesaire said. "Is he a guy that comes in early? Yes. Is he a guy that hits the field early? Yes. Is he a guy that wants to work after practice? Yes. "That's when you start realizing, 'Man, this guy … not only is he a really, really good player, but he's probably one of the hardest‑working guys that we've got.' So, you know that that's a good lit‑ tle recipe for success in the NFL." It's also how Graham conducted him‑ self at Michigan, and why his junior sea‑ son was even better. Coordinator Jesse Minter started molding him, and he eventually became the Big Ten's best defensive tackle and a unanimous All‑ American under former NFL coordina‑ tor Wink Martindale last year. His performance at Ohio State in a 13‑10 win was legendary, complete dominance up front. In fact, asked be‑ fore the draft why a team should take him early, Graham pointed to that game. "I feel like just rolling that Ohio State film … that's all you need to see, really," he said with a grin. He also thanked Martindale for help‑ ing polish his game. "Just gaining knowledge from him this past year … he's been in the league for a while now, and I'm grateful to have him come to Michigan. "The first thing that happened, he was giving me the tips for the next level because he knew I was going to be at this ultimate level come this time. So, he was just kind of preparing me and giving me tips to start fast and help the organization." They worked. Graham was an Out‑ land Trophy [best interior lineman] and Nagurski Trophy [top defensive player] finalist after a dominant season. He finished his three‑year career with 108 total stops, 17 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 3 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble and 1 punt block. He logged career highs across the board in 2024 and was named a unanimous first‑ team All‑American. "I feel like there's a lot to remember," he said before going to the Browns with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. "I went from the highs, the lows — winning national championships and then not even making the playoffs — so I feel like everyone that comes to Michi‑ gan is like‑minded, has similar goals. [It's about] winning national champi‑ onships, Big Ten championships, beat‑ ing Ohio State. "I feel like just the guys on my team as a freshman — Mazi Smith, Kris Jenkins — I was just learning from those types of guys, and then just progressing myself as a player. By the same effect, I hope guys look up to me try to recreate what me and some of my other teammates did." In an amusing twist, Graham got booed this summer by young campers [likely misguided Buckeyes fans] at a Browns event while promoting U‑M. They're going to love him eventually if he plays as well as expected, and he's happy to be in Ohio. "They traded back for a reason. They wanted to pick me," he said. "I'm just grateful for the opportunity, and I'm go‑ ing to come in and do whatever it takes. I'm blessed to be a part of the Cleveland Browns." But always a Michigan man, too … and maybe the best defensive tackle in program history, our choice for U‑M Male Athlete of the Year. ❏ Runners Up Football's Mason Graham was one of several Michigan male athletes who had huge years, and more than a handful are worthy of recognition. Here, though, are the five others we picked as our "best of the rest" from 2024-25. 2. Fred Richard, Gymnastics — If Graham is No. 1 on this list, Richard is 1A. He captured the NCAA All-Around title (84.264) and tied for second on the high bar (13.766) with team- mate Carson Eshleman. He earned All-America honors in all six events in which he partici- pated and the all-around, the first NCAA gymnast ever to accomplish the feat. Richard also won the Big Ten all-around title (83.450) for the third straight year. 3. Vladislav Goldin, Basketball — The graduate student center came from Florida Atlantic and lived up to his billing — and then some — as one of the nation's top big men. He was one of four Wolverines to start all 37 games and led the team with 16.6 points per game along with 7.0 rebounds. Goldin was named first-team All-Big Ten by the media and second-team by the coaches and Associated Press, and he earned Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after leading U-M to the title, notching 25 points and 10 rebounds in a semifinal win over Maryland and 11 points and the game-winning free throws in the championship game win over Wisconsin. 4. Jacob Cardenas, Wrestling — The Cornell transfer, an NCAA All-American at 197 pounds, claimed fourth place at the NCAA Championships with a 4-2 record. He earned a 10-5 decision over Indiana's Gabe Sollars in the NCAA quarterfinals and defeated Little Rock's Stephen Little, 5-2, in the consolation semis. Cardenas also won the 197-pound title at the Big Ten Championships with a 4-0 record, beating Iowa's undefeated No. 1 Stephen Buchanan, 4-2, in the championship bout. 5. (tie) Danny Wolf, Basketball — Wolf, a transfer from Yale, was another to start in all 37 games, averaging 13.2 points and a Big Ten-best 9.7 rebounds per game to earn first-team All- Big Ten honors from the Associated Press, and second-team from the media and coaches. He shot 49.7 percent from the floor and notched 15 double-doubles in an outstanding campaign. 5. (tie) Dominic Zvada, Football — Zvada wasn't even a finalist for the Lou Groza Award pre- sented to the nation's top kicker, but he easily could have won it. Still, he was a semifinalist for the award and earned first-team All-America honors after going 21-for-22 on field goals, his only miss a blocked attempt. He was the Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year, a unanimous first- team All-Big Ten selection (coaches and media) and the first kicker in U-M history with 4 or more made field goals of 50-plus yards in one season (7), setting Michigan season and career records. — Chris Balas