ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It’s quite rare that a freshman can come in and be a key contributor on the interior defensive line. But that’s precisely what Mason Graham has done.
The first-year player from Anaheim (Calif.) Servite has been of the instant impact variety, netting 2.5 sacks and making key plays in key moments through the first 13 games of the season. Not an easy feat, but something his teammates saw as soon as he arrived in Ann Arbor last winter.
“The second he came in here, you can just tell, everybody can tell, you know?” junior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said. “With his work ethic — dude is a sponge. His football IQ is definitely there. He’s able to pick up things very quickly. And just through sheer athleticism, sheer strength, power, speed, intensity. So you can definitely tell that — dawg — is definitely going to continue to be great where he’s at, and he has the mentality, he wants to continue to be great, continue to learn as much as he can.”
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But what’s allowed the former wrestler to succeed so quickly where others most often do not?
Part of it was work ethic, as mentioned, but the bigger part of the equation was the knowledge component — a place where Graham has succeeded. And once he proved he could produce on the field against college-level talent, he’s just taken off from there.
“I think he came in just knowing that if he soaks up as much knowledge as he can, he could definitely produce definitely be a guy,” Jenkins said. “I think that confidence really started to show more and more, as the season continued because he’s doing his thing.”
Given Graham’s emergence, it should help that much more in the future, with Mazi Smith presumably moving onto the NFL at the culmination of the season.
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