When Michigan football dipped into Anaheim (Calif.) Servite to nab a then-three-star prospect in Mason Graham, it knew it had pulled off something of a coup.
The wrestler-turned-football star was somewhat off the radar, but it didn’t last long. After flipping from Boise State to the Wolverines, Graham started getting some attention from the recruiting services and ended up as a four-star prospect. And once he arrived on campus as an early enrollee, it was obvious he’d be an early contributor, and he made good on his potential by having a solid role as a backup in his freshman year.
But in year two, he truly shined. So much so that PFF believes that Graham is the best player at his position — right now, even going back to last year.
Graham has another year before he’s eligible for the NFL draft, but if he were able to have declared as a sophomore, PFF analyst Max Chadwick says that he could have been the first defensive tackle selected in April.
Mason Graham is ELITE〽️@UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/CFHKyYK5Rc
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 16, 2024
That’s pretty high praise. PFF does have him as the top returning defensive tackle across the sport with his frontline compatriot Kenneth Grant listed as the No. 7 returning DT. The duo was so dominant that otherwise well thought of interior linemen — such as Washington’s Joe Moore Award-winning group — looked pedestrian against them.