Stellar, Standard & Subpar: Ben Mason In 2020

Ben Mason is entering his final season as a Wolverine and might not be a big contributor.

Author:
Brandon Brown
Publish date:
Aug 4, 2020 3:57 PM EDT

We continue our series as we look at each potential contributor on Michigan's roster in numerical order and look at what would be a stellar, standard and subpar season in 2020.

We're on to No. 42, senior defensive lineman/fullback Ben Mason.

It's been an interesting ride for Mason. Early on in his career, he was an effective battering ram in a pro-style offense under Jim Harbaugh, finding the end zone nine times during his first two seasons. The hiring of Josh Gattis changed the offensive philosophy rendering Mason as a fullback essentially useless, so he switched over to defensive tackle. Despite being one of the strongest pound-for-pound players on the team, Mason was just too small to play defensive tackle at 6-3, 270 pounds. By October, he was back on offense but wasn't involved in the "speed in space" offensive approach.

Overall, Mason's 2019 was very forgettable. He carried the ball just one time for three yards and recorded just seven tackles. With one year of eligibility remaining, what does Mason's final season in Ann Arbor look like?

Stellar

I think a stellar season for Mason would be one spent entirely on offense. He might not carry or catch the ball very much, but he's at least got a real role there. He's simply too small and not skilled enough to play defensive tackle. Gattis' offense just isn't suited for a fullback, so if Mason carries the ball a few times and finds the end zone once, that's probably the best case scenario.

Standard

Even though his 2019 season was a major disappointment compared to the 2017 and 2018 campaigns, I think that's the norm for Mason at this point. It's unfortunate that at the end of his career he is so much less impactful than at the beginning of it, but that's what happens when new hires are made and offenses change. In 2020, if Mason contributes here and there on offense, defense and special teams, resulting in very minimal statistics, that would have to be considered a standard outcome given the makeup of the team and schemes at this point.

Subpar

A subpar season for Mason would involve him being on the sidelines even more than he was last year. I don't think he'll carry the ball, make a catch or take a snap on defense, at least not in a meaningful way. He'll still make plays on special teams because he's a madman on the kickoff team and a big time blocker on the kick return unit, but it feels like that's about it for him.

My Thoughts

Unfortunately, I think it's pretty much over for Mason at Michigan. As a fullback, he was great, but in Josh Gattis' offense, he's simply without a job. He's not big enough to play defense, so I think he's a special teams demon only. He was once a fan favorite, but now his nickname is also going to be his location — Bench.