REPORT: Mazi Smith Declares For NFL Draft
He was one of the most dominant interior lineman to come through Ann Arbor in a long time, and how he's headed off for the NFL. On Monday, senior defensive lineman Mazi Smith reportedly entered his name into the 2023 NFL Draft.
Heading into the 2022 season, Smith landed at the No. 1 spot on Bruce Feldman's annual College Football Freaks list. At 6-3, 337 pounds, his combination of size and speed made him of of the most fierce interior defensive lineman in the country.
Smith record several career-highs in 2022, earning him the title of Michigan's Defensive Player of the Year.
Here's a look at some of Smith's notable accomplishments at the University of Michigan, per MGoBlue.com:
At Michigan
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2020-21)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team, 2022; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2021)
• Named the team's Richard Katcher Award winner (2021) and Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
• Three-time letterwinner (2019-20-21)
• Has appeared in 34 games during his career with 27 starts
Senior (2022)
• All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team)
• Midseason All-American by The Athletic (first team)
• Named the team's Defensive Player of the Year
• On four occasions, shared Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Maryland, Penn State, Illinois, at Ohio State
• Posted six tackles (two solo) including an 11-yard sack starting inside against Colorado State (Sept. 3)
• Tallied a career-best eight tackles including one for loss starting on the interior against Maryland (Sept. 24)
• Notched five tackles in a start against Michigan State (Oct. 29)
• Posted five tackles including four solo stops starting against Illinois (Nov. 19)
• Contributed four tackles from the defensive interior at Ohio State (Nov. 26)
• Delivered two tackles against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3)
