Previously: Last year’s profiles. S Damani Dent, S/Nk Zeke Berry, S/HSP Keon Sabb, CB Myles Pollard, CB/Nk Kody Jones, CB Will Johnson, LB Deuce Spurlock, LB Jimmy Rolder, DE/LB Micah Pollard. DE Derrick Moore.

Anaheim, CA – 6'3”, 292
[LA Times, via Twitter]		247: 6'4/295       4.25*	4*, 92, #209 overall #25 DL, #16 CA
		Rivals: 6'3/292       4.38*	4*, 5.9, #162 overall #11 DT, #9 CA
		ESPN: 6'3/290       3.57*	3*, 77, #133 West, #72 DE, #71 CA
		On3: 6'3/292       3.89*	3*, 88, NR overall #49 DL, #33 CA
		Composite:       4.07*	4*, 0.9073, #261 overall #35 DL, #22 CA
		Other Suitors	USC, Oregon, Boise St (decommit)
		YMRMFSPA	Ryan Glasgow
Previously On MGoBlog	Hello post by me.
Notes	Wrestler. All-Am, All-CA. Poly. Bowl. Twitter.
Film:
Senior Highlights:

There was a time not too long ago when Michigan fans would have sold their little brothers for a defensive tackle who wasn't either too small or high to stay in place, or too squat to do more than get in the way. Things have settled down now, but not so much that we've forgotten that an active, low, angry, wrestly bastard in the guts of the defense is an extremely important component, and thus extremely hard to find on the open market. Moreover, DTs tend to have it or they don't, and this is so visible in late high school that the big swinging baggers are willing to make huge investments in sure things like Walter Nolen.

Recruiting them small and building their butts yourself is one way to Moneyball the problem. A better system, however, is to find the late-risers after the main bidders have bid out. That's getting harder to do, especially in California, where top talent is funneled up to schools like Servite that play some of the best high school teams ever assembled on a weekly basis, in front of all the scouts.

Somehow, thanks to the connections of since-departed Courtney Morgan, a global pandemic, and the patience of Mason Graham's pituitary gland, an ideal 3-tech prospect fell in Southern California, and nobody was around to contest before Boise State had been shoved aside and Michigan had a bull by the horns. Every week this went on, the scouts kept looking back at their rankings and incrementing Graham up, afraid to believe what they saw. The top DTs have to be sure things, after all. What if there's a hole in his game? What if he don't say thank you or please?

---------------------

So you're a tough guy

Though DTs who wrangle themselves into the backfield never actually went out of style, with Graham the scouts can't help but effuse the effortisms. 24/7's Western analyst Greg Biggens called Graham "a true tough guy and a bit of a throwback." The latter part goes back further than anyone but Craig Ross remembers; Graham plays offensive and defensive line, but doesn't take plays off. Biggens also notes the "grown man strength."

Chris Singletary didn't see Graham until last January, but thought the dude "gave problems to the offense with his size, strength and tenacity" and "His punch and power base along with playing with a good pad level are a couple of his strengths."

On3's scouts were relatively down but Tim Verghese liked that Graham "plays with a lot of aggressiveness and is a sure tackler."

He's a bad guy.

Like it really rough guy

Graham wasn't just bowling through the kids of recording industry execs. Other than national programs like IMG and St. Frances, you can't find a tougher schedule than the top California division that Servite plays in. When Biggens refers to "the most dominant defensive lineman in the state this year" it's because Graham averaged over a sack a game versus a schedule that included Sierra Canyon (played every snap versus Kenji Swanson, Michael Wooten), and two games each versus St. John Bosco (5* Earnest Greene, Ray Pulido), Santa Margarita (Hero Kanu), and talent mecca Mater Dei (BJ Tolo, Mo Tapusoa). He didn't come off the field, either, on offense or defense.

Servite itself has produced a hundred NFL players, so when Friar head coach Troy Thomas called Graham "the best lineman he has ever coached," the candidate pool he's talking about is Boise State's Travis Averill, ND's Troy Niklas, Zona's Kirifi Taula, and USC's Matt Kalil, Clayton Johnson, and former 5* Jordan Simmons, whom Thomas coached at Crespi.

He's a bad guy.

Just can't get enough guy

Let's talk motor. Nobody plays DT untired, and nobody can go all out every down—how much gas you've got, and how much you can push yourself when empty are more important, and vastly harder to summon than people realize. Graham can go. Biggens saw a few games, and kept coming away with "takes on double teams and is relentless," and quotes like this:

As always, he played full time on the offensive line as well and never looked winded or tired, despite playing against a deep and talented Mater Dei line. … When I talked to him after the game and asked how he felt, he said, 'I'm ready to play another one right now in this parking lot.'

…and this:

“I get tired, but I'm trained to (play through it)."

On3's Verghese appreciated the "Good motor and awareness of what’s happening around him." Sam Webb said "there are players who play hard, and then there's Mason Graham. There just isn’t an off switch with him." Chris Singletary saw Graham do everything "with intensity" at the Polynesian Bowl, adding "He takes no plays off."

He's a bad guy.

Chest always so puffed guy

The gritty talk shouldn't be taken to mean Michigan's just getting a tryhard. "That man is a freak" explained an assistant who played Servite last year, adding Graham's "body frame and his athleticism have gotten so much beter over the last year."

As of December 2020 Biggens notes Graham was "dominant in the pass drills, combining a quick first step, strong hands and a powerful bull rush." Servite recruiting coordinator Rudy Cambero called Graham "twitchy" even if you can't see it on film:

He's got active hands and moves so well for a guy that weighs 290-295, which is pretty heavy. We like our guys a little thinner here at Servite, but he carries his weight so well. He has no belly.

When USC finally got involved WeAreSC's Scott Schrader noted motor, of course, and "he moves extremely well for his size." At the Polynesian Bowl, Mason Graham "didn’t lose a one on one rep in practice." Singletary was impressed that a DT "could show up to the ball-carrier as much as he did," after a day when Graham show dominant athleticism.

You saw in the individual drills that he has good flexibility and was light on his feet going through the bags. Once they got to the 1 on 1s part of practice his power and punch stood out as he won reps on multiple occasions.

His senior totals were 67 tackles, 21 TFLs, and 14 sacks in 13 games. He's a bad guy.

I'm that mat type

A wrestling background for a DT always perks up a Michigan fan's ears; we all remember Mike Martin if not Rob Renes. Biggens says it shows:

Graham plays with advanced technique, has strong hands, and you can see his wrestling background in how he's able to use leverage and balance to bully opposing linemen

So does On3's Charles Power:

I think he’s a top wrestler, you can just tell that he plays a natural leverage, plays really hard, well-coached, good technique.

You could tell that Singletary, who played with Renes and recruited Martin, was clearly aware of the correlation, never failing to mention Graham's second sport.

Make the scouts look bad type

Even when he committed, most people out East were like "Who?" EJ Holland felt he had to sell this to The Wolverine subscribers:

Graham isn't overly athletic on tape, but he's explosive, has a quick first step, plays with power, a non-stop motor and just makes plays. … While Graham is rated on the lower end, I'm perfectly fine taking him. He's the type of guy that will pop up and be a multi-year starter.

No guy in the Trinity League should have been that much of a secret. One opposing coach said he's been a fan of the kid since 7th grade. As of a year ago Boise State was recruiting Graham for DL but keeping offense open. His coach thought that's where his upside lay:

"I think he has an NFL future on the offensive line," Thomas said. "He's really good on both sides but as an offensive lineman, that's where I really like him a lot. I coached Travis Averill, who went on to play at Boise State and in the NFL and I think Graham is just as good a prospect if not even better."

When Graham visited for Washington, Brandon Brown started on about a "stout, strong run stopper who can press the middle of the pocket some." Nobody out here had any idea. On3's USC reporter Scott Schrader claims Graham was on their radars since a July 2020 camp in Utah:

A talented SoCal player to keep an eye on is 2022 @ServiteFootball DT Mason Graham

Solid performance Saturday at the @GiantSkillz THE CHAMPIONSHIP in Orem (UT)❕@USCScoop pic.twitter.com/4uP3kb5a4M

— Scott Schrader (@Scott_Schrader) July 19, 2020

…but if so USC didn't listen until Lincoln Riley had Graham over for dinner, to which he offered a "thanks for the steaks, but I'm solid with Michigan."

Bad guy.

Make the Maizen mad type

Why didn't anybody know until the last minute? Graham played for Servite as a sophomore, but didn't have a lot of stats and thought of as more of a "run stuffer." Graham started ripping through OL like toilet paper at a camp in December 2020, but California didn't play that season, so the only schools poking around at that point were Penn and my dude:

“The offer from Fresno State felt great,” Graham said. “It’s always good to get that first one so it was exciting. I talked with Courtney Morgan over there a few times, built a relationship with him and then they offered.

Oregon State and Boise State jumped in after the camp, and despite Wisconsin poking around in April, Graham committed to the latter in July. Shortly after, Morgan joined the Michigan staff, and shared the secret. Graham visited for Washington, coincidentally Courtney's birthday weekend. His commitment was the first in months for Michigan; Graham also never wavered when Morgan and Nua left early in the offseason, despite USC and Oregon making heavy offers at the end.

Unfortunately for our hopes of anyone unseating Damani Dent—my first profile of the season—for sleeper of the year died when all the sites but On3 re-ranked Graham into their top-250s, making Graham ineligible.

Why the holdout? Anthony Broome of On3 suggested "some believe he maxed out in high school," by which he meant the On3 scouts have questions about the tape, not the tape, if you catch my drift. Power could have been talking about any tryhard:

“Mason Graham is making a lot of plays. Not as physically gifted from a stature or length standpoint as Kenneth Grant, but he’s just having a very good, very good senior year. I think he’s got to be (considered a sleeper). I think he’s a top wrestler, you can just tell that he plays a natural leverage, plays really hard, well-coached, good technique.”

And Tim Verghese, in an article about five "underrated" signees in the class, seemed to be referencing a lower ceiling:

His physical measurements won’t blow anyone away, and his physical frame is somewhat maxed out, but he’s extremely

Before suddenly cutting off mid-sentence, presumably because at that moment the demon lovechild of Ben Mason and Brandon Graham appeared out of the woodwork and swallowed his soul.

He's a bad guy.

Unessential: that hype.

Perhaps the most surprising offseason storyline this year was Mason Graham emerging from spring as a guy expected to contribute at defensive tackle *this year.* Cambero says he's "ready to roll" and Webb predicted Graham "should be physically ready to compete for playing time as a true freshman," but those are couched statements.

What wasn't couched was the outpouring of excitement over Graham after the spring game. Harbaugh on the Jansen pod:

“guy to keep an eye on as somebody who can play early out of the freshman class. Really high motor, well thought of, and is already physically strong, but he needs some more strength work, but shows the athleticism and agility to be a really good player. He will play as a freshman. He was playing and playing at a pretty darn high level right off the bat. He was out about a week or so — or two. He had an ankle but came back faster than an ordinary man would.”

Harbaugh then reminded us that freshman defensive tackles suck:

“As you know, the closer you get to the ball, the harder it is to play as a true freshman. Center, guard, defensive tackle, for sure. Just the physical development of being strong enough to be a defensive tackle when you’re playing guys four or five years older than you."

But that couldn't stem the talk, from official and quasi sources. Jaylen Harrell called Graham "a dog." An On3 insider claimed Graham is already up to 305($), and that Graham and Kenneth Grant will be two of the best tackles in the country in a few years. Balas himself is all the way on board:

….appears to be the best, most college-ready freshman defensive tackle I’ve seen in my decades watching Michigan football. He’s big, strong (held his own at times with Olu Oluwatimi), has the wrestling moves of a Rob Renes and can even get some pressure on the quarterback. This guy is going to end up being one of the steals of his class.

One of our metrics for parsing spring chatter is whether a player is getting talked up by the program before the program needs to do that. Michigan did lose a lot at tackle, and hit the portal for help, but if they were going to be blowing smoke about a young guy there are several who've played or looked fine in spring who are older. Graham should not be getting talked up yet. And yet. Mike Elston:

"He's a bad guy."

Etc. Academic: first offer was Ivy League. Grew up a ND fan.

Why Ryan Glasgow? Duh.

I mean, we could go with Alvin Wistert if you want to get pedantic, but we have a pretty recent rasslin roughneck with a mad rip move right here. Ryan wouldn't stay blocked on the interior, and caused all sorts of havoc by splitting doubles. Not of huge interest to the NFL because of length/other measurables, but excellent college player who was badly missed when not on the field. We see it. The 24/7 guys see it too, though Biggens also suggested "a more athletic Greg Gaines."

Guru Reliability: Low except for 24/7. Greg Biggens (Twitter: @GregBiggins) deserves to come out and take a bow for this one; his scouting pieces on Graham alone far outnumbered those of all the other three sites combined. He saw Graham and multiple camps, had thoughts on him after his sophomore season, and was all over it when Graham started to blow up in early 2021. Tai'shar, 24/7.

Variance: Low. He's already 295, or perhaps 305, played in the toughest high school league in America, and just looked effective against Michigan's line, which just added a Rimington finalist to the two guards from the top line in the country in 2021. Zero worries about effort or academics. If there's a knock on him it's that the ceiling isn't high enough. Oh darn.

Ceiling: B+. Length seems to be the only knock on him, might be close to it already.

General Excitement Level: Bad guy. I don't want to be the type who goes for all the scrappy white guy terms, but you know how I feel about defensive tackles who make a hash out of everything inside. If this guy's got half the attitude on and off the field that they're talking about already, he's going to be a Chase Winovich-level folk hero, especially if the NFL is worried about his measurements and we get to keep him around an extra year or two, with NIL's help.

Projection:

Look, freshman DTs suck. Harbaugh just said it. We've been saying it for years. You've got Smith and Jenkins and Benny and Rooks and the transfer Goode, and Morris and Welschof able to slide down, which should be enough, hopefully to get a four-game redshirt on Graham and unleash him next year. I don't know if that will happen given the talk after one spring and the level he was playing at last year.

Glasgow was a walk-on who arrived at 265 and redshirted in 2012, but he made the spring practice reports in 2013 at 295, just in time to give us the willies about Will Campbell, Quinton Washington, Richard Ash, or Ondre Pipkins ever working out. Glasgow had spotted appearances that season then grew into a force for the remainder of his eligibility. Graham is probably where Graham was after the redshirt, but if you're going to get him just six snaps a game you might as well preserve the year. After that, he moves into the starting lineup or three-man rotation, and is pretty good, followed by two (or three? cross fingers) years of ripping through the chests of Big Ten guards, terrorizing quarterbacks, then giving them Hunter Dickinson's heel gestures.

I mean, I know you don't want to talk about life after Mo Hurst at DT, or the incredibly bad luck of getting just one half-decent season of starting out of five-stars Campbell, Pipkins, Aubrey Solomon, and Christopher Hinton, but already-300 good DTs are usually really good in college too. Not having a junior season is a really good excuse for nobody realizing he's one of the best in the country until he's a senior. I'm ready to believe again.

I'm a bad guy, huh.

I'm a bad…