Tag: Mason Graham

Four Big Ten players crack PFF’s top 10 players in college football entering 2024

The Big Ten has some of college football’s top players in 2024:

ProFootballFocus’ recently-released ranking of the top players in college football reached its conclusion on Friday. The top 10 of the list includes four Big Ten athletes.

PFF ranked Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham No. 3 overall, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson No. 4, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs No. 8 and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins No. 10.

Colorado star receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter came in at No. 1 overall on the list, while Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II followed at No. 2.

Graham, who enters his third season in Ann Arbor, earned an All-American second-team selection as a sophomore for the Wolverines. On the interior, he registered 36 tackles, 3.0 sacks, three quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Johnson, meanwhile, earned Defensive MVP of the 2023 National Championship Game during Michigan’s triumph over Washington. The game-wrecker was both a first team All-American and consensus first team All-Big Ten selection with four interceptions across 12 appearances.

Ohio State’s Downs transferred to the Buckeyes after a spectacular freshman season with Alabama. The safety earned Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year honors and was pinpointed as the SEC Freshman of the Year by its coaches.

Judkins also transferred to OSU ahead of the 2024 slate. Unlike Downs, he played his college ball at Ole Miss before the move. He enters the Big Ten as a 2023 All-SEC First Team member.

Three Wolverines get preseason honors from Big Ten

Well-deserved honors! #GoBlue

The 2024 season is kicking off unofficially on Tuesday with the beginning of Big Ten media days in Indianapolis. And with that, the conference is honoring 12 players before the season, and among them are three Michigan football players.

It should be no surprise who those three are, given the offseason hype following the national championship year. All three entering their third year in college football, big things are expected of cornerback Will Johnson, defensive tackle Mason Graham, and tight end Colston Loveland. And in the eyes of the Big Ten, that trio are among the 12-best players in the entire conference.

Michigan has the second-most honorees, with Ohio State leading the charge with four players on the 12-man list.

Notable omissions include senior running back Donovan Edwards and junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

Here is the full release:

The Big Ten Conference announced its 2024 football preseason honors on Tuesday ahead of the start of Big Ten Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium. A media panel selected the 12-member preseason list.

Six different schools placed students on this year’s preseason honors list, led by four honorees from Ohio State. Four of this year’s Big Ten preseason honorees — Iowa’s Jay Higgins, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Ohio State Emeka Egbuka, Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai — are scheduled to attend Big Ten Media Days this week in Indianapolis.\

The full list of Big Ten football preseason honorees is as follows:

2024 Big Ten Preseason Honors

LB Jay Higgins, IOWA

DT Mason Graham, MICH

DB Will Johnson, MICH

TE Colston Loveland, MICH

QB Dillon Gabriel, ORE

WR Tez Johnson, ORE

SAF Caleb Downs, OSU

WR Emeka Egbuka, OSU

RB TreVeyon Henderson, OSU

DE JT Tuimoloau, OSU

DE Abdul Carter, PSU

RB Kyle Monangai, RU

Three Michigan football players make latest ESPN NFL draft mock

There will be more than these. #GoBlue

Though many expect Michigan football to take a step back in 2024, the Wolverines aren’t perhaps as devoid of talent as many like to surmise.

Coming off of a national championship, despite breaking the team record with 13 draft picks in 2024, there was only one former player who went in the first round. But as the season approaches, ESPN expects that Michigan will hear three players called on Thursday evening in the 2025 NFL draft. (subscription required)

Matt Miller projected the 2025 first round, even though there’s still a whole season ahead of all college teams. Still, there’s a pretty good chance that, regardless of anything, these three players will be first-round draft picks, barring a catastrophic season.

Pick Team Pos. Player
3 Denver Broncos CB Will Johnson
7 Minnesota Vikings DT Mason Graham
14 Indianapolis Colts TE Colston Loveland

The Broncos aren’t a team that often selects Wolverines and the last two players who have appeared in Denver were Graham Glasgow (via free agency) and friend of the site, Jake Butt, who was a fifth-round pick.

If the Vikings pick Graham, he would be the second-consecutive former player to come to Minneapolis via the first-round of the draft, with J.J. McCarthy being the first-round selection in 2024.

The Colts have picked one Wolverines, with Kwity Paye being a first-round pick and Cam McGrone having come home to Indianapolis via free agency.

There are three notable omissions, of course. DT Kenneth Grant seems like another obvious first-round selection but it appears analysts are waiting to see how he performs in his junior year. RB Donovan Edwards, after a disappointing 2023, is poised for a big rebound year, and given his skill set as a pass catcher, very well could find himself picked early in the draft. Though an off-the-beaten-path pick, some inside Michigan circles believe that LB Jaishawn Barham, the transfer from Maryland, possesses the traits that could also allow him to be picked on day one of the draft.

Was Mason Graham disrespected with preseason nod?

Add another chip to that shoulder. #GoBlue

So, first, the good news: Michigan football put three players on the Walter Camp preseason All-American team. The bad news? One was criminally underrated.

Unsurprisingly, Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson, tight end Colston Loveland and defensive tackle Mason Graham made the Walter Camp preseason All-American team in 2024. While the first two made the first team, somehow, Graham was listed on the second team.

He was snubbed in favor of James Pearce, Jr. (Tennessee), Howard Cross III (Notre Dame), Ashton Gillotte (Louisville) and Tyleik Williams (Ohio State).

James Pearce Jr. absolutely makes sense. He’s often been on lists as being a potential top overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. But other outlets — such as PFF — have stated Graham very likely would have been the top-rated defensive tackle and first taken if he had entered the draft in 2024 — as a sophomore.

Michigan football fans will tell you just how dominant Graham was in 2023, as he was a big reason why the Wolverines were able to win the national championship. Those inside Schembechler Hall, however, are likely relishing the perceived snub, as the latest maize and blue teams have enjoyed being underrated and playing with chips on their shoulders.

Steelers land massive DT in new 2025 NFL mock draft

Mason Graham is a massive interior defender who would help the Steelers defensive line.

By the time the next offseason comes around, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line could be in real trouble. It isn’t clear what Cam Heyward’s future is and the only big-time player on the depth chart aside from Heyward is Keeanu Benton.

The folks at Pro Football Network seem to agree and in their new 2025 mock draft, they addressed this need as well. PFN gave the Steelers Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham with the No. 14 overall pick.

Here’s what they had to say about Graham:

Mason Graham is a mauler forged in the Michigan trenches who has pocket-pulverizing power and remarkable pass-rush potential due to athleticism that belies his stout 6’3″, 318-pound frame.

The Steelers should have their pick of multiple interior defensive linemen in the 2025 NFL draft and could even opt for another Michigan prospect if they see Kenneth Grant as a better fit. Either way, Pittsburgh couldn’t go wrong with a player like Graham.

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Giants grab an elite defender in PFN’s way-too-early 2025 mock draft

The New York Giants pass on a quarterback and select a top-tier defender in Pro Football Network’s way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft.

The New York Giants aren’t expected to be a playoff team in 2024 and that means they will be in a position to select another top name in the NFL draft.

In Pro Football Network’s latest 2025 mock draft, analyst James Fragoza has the Giants picking sixth overall, which would mean they will have picked in the top 10 eight times since 2015 and in the top 12 nine times since 2014.

In this exercise, the Giants pass on a quarterback in favor of Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.

6) New York Giants: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Were it not for (Kentucky’s Deonte) Walker’s freakishness, Mason Graham would be the DT1 in the class. He consistently wins as a run defender and pass rusher and has few holes in his game.

Michigan likes to rotate its DTs frequently (and the Wolverines have the depth to do so without significant drop-off). But when on the field, offenses feel Graham’s impact.

The Giants naturally have Dexter Lawrence locked up for the foreseeable future but would love to have a more permanent partner to pair with him in the middle.

This season, they brought in veteran Jordan Phillips and will use him in a rotation with Rakeem Nunez-Roches and their Oregon trio (D.J. Davidson, Jordon Riley, and Casey Rogers).

This pick could be moot if one of those players — or UDFA Elijah Chatman — breaks out this season.

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Trio of Michigan football underclassmen getting early 2025 draft attention

Don’t let rivals fool you, #Michigan is still loaded with talent. #GoBlue

Michigan’s 2022 recruiting class might go down as the most talented from the Jim Harbaugh era. Yes, 2021 produced J.J. McCarthy, Donovan Edwards, Junior Colson, and Rod Moore, but the rising juniors are already proving to be special. In fact, a trio of youngsters are already getting hype for the 2025 NFL draft despite their selection day being over a year away.

The first player garnering praise is, of course, Will Johnson. Johnson was a five-star recruit from Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Johnson made a name for himself early in his career with two interceptions in the Big Ten Championship Game as a true freshman. He followed up a promising freshman campaign with a lockdown sophomore season that has draft analysts and NFL scouts alike drooling. The Wolverines have historically produced a ton of great cornerback talents, but Johnson is right up there with any name. After all, wearing the number two at Michigan is no small claim to fame. Now, will Johnson compete for the Heisman as Woodson did? Likely not, but that does not mean he won’t be a top-five selection in one year.

Next up is one of the most menacing defensive tackles in all of college football — Mason Graham. Graham came to Michigan as a mid-four-star recruit but has outplayed his recruitment grade tremendously. There were concerns about his athleticism and length early in his career, but Graham has dismissed all notions of possible shortcomings with his frequent impact plays. The Wolverines heavily rotated their defensive line in 2023 which limited the statistical impact on any individual player, but Graham still totaled three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss nonetheless. Checking the tape will also quickly reveal that Graham’s impact was felt much further than the stat sheet. He was simply a menace against Ohio State, Alabama, and Washington, and performed exceptionally well in Big Ten play as well despite nursing an injured hand. The expectation for Graham in 2024 is that he competes for a spot on the All-American team and hears his name called early in the 2025 draft.

The final player is Colston Loveland who comes straight from the football Mecca of Gooding, Idaho. Loveland, like Graham, was a fairly sought-after prospect in high school but by no means was expected to turn into the player he is today. Last season, Loveland turned in 45 catches for 649 yards while steadily improving as a blocker throughout the season. Should he continue to progress in the run game, Loveland will no doubt be considered a first-round pick. PFF analyst Max Chadwick already has Loveland as the second-best prospect in the nation after generational talent Brock Bowers, and Loveland hasn’t even hit age 20 yet. Expect the Idaho native to continue creating big plays in the passing game and emerge as the top target at the position nationally.

PFF lists two Michigan football players on 2024 all-returning defense

Should be more than two, IMO. #GoBlue

Many ask the question as to whether Michigan football will be in reloading or rebuilding mode in Sherrone Moore’s first year. But the Wolverines are perhaps more talented than may across college football may realize.

While the offense has a ton of questions — particularly at quarterback, where there is no presumed leader, as well as at wide receiver — the rest of the team is pretty loaded. The offensive line, tight ends, and running backs should be elite.

And that’s not even looking at the defensive side of the ball.

On defense, the Wolverines return a large portion of 2024’s playmakers, despite losing standouts such as Mike Sainristil, Kris Jenkins, Junior Colson, and Mike Barrett. With Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant leading the charge up front, Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham taking over the middle, and Makari Paige and Will Johnson coming back on the back end, there is a lot to like about this new-look defense. So much so that two of the aforementioned made PFF analyst Max Chadwick’s list for his ‘all-returning defensive team.’

According to Chadwick, Michigan has two players on defense that are the best at their position: defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson. So much so that both made his list.

Certainly, safety Rod Moore could have had a claim, also, at his position but he tore his ACL during spring practice. Grant can’t be too far behind Michigan native and Kentucky DT Deone Walker, and the Grant-Graham tandem is likely the best in the country.

While many of the others not listed — including edge rushers Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart — they certainly could find themselves atop the list once the season has concluded.

Michigan football players suggest Wink Martindale’s defense is ‘totally different’ from predecessors

This is certainly unexpected. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The thought when Michigan football brought in Wink Martindale to replace Jesse Minter — who coached under Martindale with the Baltimore Ravens — was that there wouldn’t be much change. That it would be a continuation of the defense that the Wolverines have run under Minter and Martindale.

However, if you ask fifth-year safety Makari Paige, that’s not how he sees it, not one week into spring practice.

WolverinesWire asked Paige on Monday about the similarities and differences between the two defensive coordinators’ schemes, and Paige put it quite succinctly.

“It’s totally different,” Paige said. “It’s totally different. Everything’s different.”

OK, then.

Paige isn’t one to expound much, but we asked him again because it certainly could have been something of an obfuscation. But he insists: no, it’s a much different defense.

“No, I’m being serious — it’s totally different,” Paige said. “The plays, his mindset — not mindset, but philosophy, I guess?”

Well, let’s get a second opinion, then.

We also got a chance to hear from junior defensive tackle Mason Graham, and while he didn’t go into great detail, he did note that there are different ways that defenses can be run — even if they’re spiritually similar. As Graham tells it, there are nuances, but perhaps not wholesale changes.

“I mean, everyone just has their mix, their splash of their little ideas that they bring,” Graham said. “So I feel like Coach Minter and Coach Wink have different philosophies still within the same structure, but they just have their little differences on defense.”

It’s difficult to know for sure what the truth is here, but it adds intrigue to the defense moving forward.

Fans will at least be able to get a first glimpse on April 20 when Michigan football hosts the annual spring game at The Big House. It will take place at noon and will be broadcast nationally on Fox.

The Michigan football QB that’s impressing DT Mason Graham

He’s going to be a handful for opposing defenses. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There are a lot of open spots for Michigan football this spring, but none are more high profile than that of the quarterback position.

Vacated by J.J. McCarthy who entered the NFL draft with a year of eligibility remaining, the Wolverines don’t have an heir apparent to the former five-star, but they have multiple candidates who are vying for the role of starter. Among the top contenders is junior signal caller Alex Orji.

On Monday, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham was asked which quarterback has particularly impressed him a week into spring ball and he noted that Orji, thanks to his ability to scramble or outright run, has really gotten his attention in practice.

“I’d probably say — I mean they’re all doing a good job — but Alex Orji can make plays with his legs,” Graham said. “So he’s a really big threat when it comes to that. He keeps us on edge. You don’t know what he’s doing, even when he doesn’t have the ball because he’s a weapon. Creates opportunities.

“I feel like everyone’s playing really good, presenting challenges throughout the spring so far. So, good competition.”

What is it about Orji’s ability to move the pocket and take off running that’s impressed Graham the most? Well, it’s the fact that he’s never quite sure what he might do on any given play.

In a game, Graham says, that presents challenges to any defensive line. Because a more stoic, pocket-passer is a bit more dead-to-rights, whereas a player like Orji keeps rushing linemen on their toes a bit more. And that can weigh on them.

“Especially from a defensive lineman standpoint, you’re rushing the quarterback and when a quarterback’s not very mobile or can’t move as well, you’re more confident in what you’re doing and you can do,” Graham said. “But when there’s somebody back there that can just run at any given time and you’ve gotta chase him down, it’s in the back of your mind throughout the game.”

Fans will get a chance to see Orji and the other quarterbacks in action in the annual spring game, which takes place on April 20 at noon at The Big House. The spring game will be broadcast nationally on Fox.