Star Michigan DT remaining committed to Wolverines

Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle Mason Graham could have gone anywhere this offseason via the transfer portal. 

That's just how things are in college football nowadays, but Graham did have a reason to perhaps want to get out of Ann Arbor. 

The head coach who recruited him, Jim Harbaugh, won a championship with the Wolverines and then skipped off to the NFL to be head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Graham could have had every reason to go, and internet rumors suggested that he was considering transferring. The talented 6-foot-3, 318-pound big man recently threw cold water on those rumors, though. 

“Man, I just feel like there’s always going to be rumors,” Graham said via Wolverines Wire. “Michigan’s where I want to be, Michigan’s where I’ve been for the past two years. I’m comfortable here, I wanted to stay with all the guys that we went through battles with. So that’s where it all came down to — the teammates I’ve played with. And the program’s in good hands with Coach Moore.”

That's an important endorsement of the post-Harbaugh era at Michigan, and it's an even more important one for new head coach Sherrone Moore — who was Harbaugh's offensive coordinator and Michigan's 4-0 interim head coach last season.

If Michigan intends to continue being a contender in 2024, Graham will be a big reason why. Last season as a sophomore, he notched 35 tackles (7.5 for loss), three sacks, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as a sophomore. 

Graham was named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News and he was an All-Big Ten selection first team, according to the coaches.