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Mason Graham
Graham with the Michigan Wolverines in 2024
Michigan Wolverines – No. 55
PositionDefensive tackle
ClassJunior
Personal information
Born: (2003-09-02) September 2, 2003 (age 21)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight318 lb (144 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High schoolServite (Anaheim, California)
Career highlights and awards

Mason Graham (born September 2, 2003) is an American college football defensive tackle. He was a two-time All-American for the Michigan Wolverines, including unanimous All-American honors in 2024. In 2023, he won a national championship and earned the defensive MVP award in the 2024 Rose Bowl.

Early life

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Graham was born on September 2, 2003, and attended Servite High School in Anaheim, California.[1] Graham was a two-way player for his high school football team, starting on the defensive line and starting at tackle on the offensive line. He was also a star wrestler at Servite.[2][3]

In December 2021, he was selected by the Los Angeles Times as the High School Football Player of the Year and named an All-American by MaxPreps. As a senior, he recorded 60 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss and 14 sacks on the season.[4] Graham was rated as a four-star recruit, and ranked as the No. 162 overall player in the country.[5]

After watching Michigan play Washington in Ann Arbor on September 16, 2021, Graham committed to the University of Michigan.[6][7]

College career

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Freshman season (2022)

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Graham enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2022, and saw extensive playing time as a true freshman.[8][9][10] Graham appeared in all 14 games, totaling 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His first career sack came in his first career game, versus Colorado State on September 3, 2022. After the season, he was named to the True Freshman All-America team by Pro Football Focus.[11]

Sophomore season (2023)

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Graham (No. 55) in the 30–24 victory over Ohio State in 2023

In 2023, Graham was named as a second-team All-American by The Sporting News, and a first-team All-Big Ten selection.[12] He appeared in 13 games for the Wolverines, totaling 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.[13] Graham was named the Defensive Player of the Game in the 2024 Rose Bowl, following a four-tackle performance in the victory against Alabama.[14] The following week he won the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship in a 34–13 victory over the Washington Huskies.[15]

Junior season (2024)

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Entering his junior season, Mason Graham was ranked as the best interior defensive lineman in college football prior to the 2024 season.[16][17][18] He was considered to be an early first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.[19][20][21][22] In week four against the USC Trojans, Graham recorded six tackles and his first sack of the season.[23] In week five against Minnesota, he followed up his performance with four tackles and a career high two sacks.[24] In week six versus Washington, Graham blocked a field goal, had two tackles and his third straight game with a sack.[25]

In November 2024, Graham was named as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the best defensive player in college football, and the Outland Trophy, given to the best interior lineman (offensive or defensive). He was the fifth player in Michigan football history to be a finalist for the Nagurski and the sixth for the Outland.[26][27] Graham also received unanimous All-American honors, named to the first-team by each of the five officially recognized NCAA selectors.[a] He was the 29th unanimous selection all-time for Michigan Wolverines, and the 27th individual player.[b][28]

On December 10, Graham declared for the 2025 NFL draft, foregoing the bowl game and his senior year.[29] Graham finished his three year career at the University of Michigan with a 35-6 team record, two Big Ten championships, All-American honors twice, a Rose Bowl MVP, was a national champion, and finished 3-0 against both rivals, Michigan State and Ohio State. He appeared in 39 games, starting 27 times and recording 108 career tackles, 18 tackles for a loss and nine sacks.[30]

Notes

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  1. ^ The American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation
  2. ^ The Michigan Wolverines have had two players who were recognized as unanimous All-Americans twice

References

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  1. ^ "Mason Graham". University of Michigan. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Jared Greenspan (October 14, 2022). "How Mason Graham's wrestling background set the stage for Michigan breakout". The Michigan Daily.
  3. ^ "From Late Bloomer to Star, It's Been Quite a Journey for Michigan DL Mason Graham". 247Sports.
  4. ^ "L.A. Times high school football player of the year: Mason Graham". Los Angeles Times. December 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "Mason Graham Recruiting Profile". Rivals.
  6. ^ "Defensive Tackle Mason Graham Has Committed To Michigan". SI.com. September 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Eric Sondheimer (October 20, 2022). "Servite's Mason Graham will be a Michigan man after local recruiters passed on him". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Ryan Zuke (November 16, 2022). "Praise keeps coming for Michigan freshman DT". Mive.comm.
  9. ^ Spencer Raines (September 16, 2022). "Mason Graham isn't just another freshman". The Michigan Daily.
  10. ^ John Niyo (December 26, 2022). "Freshman Mason Graham wasted little time becoming big piece of Michigan defense". The Detroit News.
  11. ^ "2022 PFF College All-True Freshman Team: Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins, Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison and More". Pro Football Focus.
  12. ^ "Three Michigan Football Players Named Sporting News All-Americans". Wolverines Digest - Sports Illustrated.
  13. ^ "Mason Graham College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  14. ^ "'We've got one more to go.' Rose Bowl MVPs J.J. McCarthy, Mason Graham crave a title". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ^ "Michigan does it at last, powering through Washington for first national title since 1997". FOX Sports. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "College Football: Top 10 Returning Interior Defensive Linemen for the 2024 Season". Pro Football Focus.
  17. ^ "Top 5 for 2024: Interior Defensive Lineman Edition". Mike Farrell Sports.
  18. ^ "Ranking the Top 30 College Football Interior Defensive Linemen for 2024". Sports Grid.
  19. ^ "Why Michigan's Mason Graham is college football's top 2025 NFL Draft-eligible DT". 247Sports.
  20. ^ "With Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant at the center, Michigan's defensive line primed for more in 2024". The Michigan Daily.
  21. ^ "Early look at the top 20 NFL draft-eligible college football players taking the field in 2024 season". CBS Sports.
  22. ^ "PFF predicts 4 Michigan football players to go in first round in 2025 NFL draft". USA Today - Wolverines Wire.
  23. ^ "Michigan v. USC (2024)". ESPN.
  24. ^ "Michigan v. Minnesota (2024)". ESPN.
  25. ^ "Michigan v. Washington (2024)". ESPN.
  26. ^ "Nagurski Trophy Tabs Graham as Finalist". University of Michigan Athletics.
  27. ^ "Graham Recognized as Finalist for Outland Trophy". University of Michigan Athletics.
  28. ^ "Graham, Zvada Named First-Team All-Americans by Sporting News". University of Michigan Athletics.
  29. ^ "Michigan DT Mason Graham, potential top-5 pick, enters NFL draft". ESPN.
  30. ^ "Michigan All-American DT Mason Graham to sit out bowl game, declares for NFL Draft". Detroit Free Press.
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