Wolverine Digest

Michigan Football: Mason Graham only defensive tackle to achieve incredible feat

Chris Breiler|
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Following a stellar career at the University of Michigan, defensive lineman Mason Graham is now taking his talents to the NFL. Given how dominant he was in pretty much every phase of the game defensively, it's not all that surprising to see that most projections have Graham projected to go very early in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

On Monday, PFF College released various grades for defenders from the 2024 season. As it turns out, Graham was unquestionably the best defensive tackle in all of college football, finishing as the only DT with a pass rush and run defense grade of over 80.

Graham capped off his Michigan career by becoming a unanimous first team All-American in 2024, cementing himself as one of the greatest defensive tackles to ever come through Ann Arbor. He departs as a two-time Big Ten champion, Rose Bowl defensive MVP, and a National Champion. Oh, and he also leaves with a perfect 3-0 record against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Here's a closer look at some of his top accomplishments at the University of Michigan:

At Michigan

• Two-time All-American (unanimous first team, 2024; second team, 2023)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (first team, coaches, 2023-24; first team, media, 2024; third team, media, 2023)
• Tournament of Roses 2023 Rose Bowl Game Defensive MVP
• Outland Trophy Finalist (2024)
• Nagurski Trophy Finalist (2024)
• Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalist (2024)
• Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2023)
• Shared Defensive Freshman of the Year honors (2022)
• Two-time letterman (2022-23)
• Has appeared in 39 games with 27 starts along the defensive line

Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

More Michigan News:

Report: Michigan football no longer getting visit from a top 2025 target

Five Michigan players in store for a breakout 2025 campaign

Column: 2025 Way-too-early top 25 rankings

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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