Michigan DT Mason Graham says he has fully recovered from a broken thumb that caused him to miss a game earlier this season and then play with a club for much for the year.
“It’s doing good — 100%,” Graham said Thursday as the Wolverines prepare for Alabama and the College Football Playoff. He confirmed he will not need a cast or splint at the Rose Bowl.
Graham missed two games after undergoing surgery to repair the broken thumb. He returned with aplomb against Minnesota — leading the Wolverines in tackles (six), tackles for loss (two), run stops (three) and quarterback pressures (two). It was a performance Jim Harbaugh called “dominant” and came as Graham played with one hand wrapped in a cast.
That was cool, but it wasn’t too cool when I was in it,” Graham said of playing with a club for several games this year. “But I had to get it over with.”
Now that it’s indeed over with, Graham will feature heavily for a Michigan defense facing a stiff challenge in Alabama’s offense.
“They’re a physical group,” Graham said of the Crimson Tide’s offensive line. “They work well together. Yeah, they obviously are pretty big, and I feel like they’re good in the run game, too, and pass game, and they all just kind of work together with their quarterback.
“… I just see that they want to run the ball downhill, and I feel like they’re going to try and test us there early on in the game maybe, so it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
Graham also spoke on his keys to a successful performance against Alabama.
“Probably just getting off the ball, getting to the point of attack really quick, setting them back because they’re used to coming off the ball and really getting after guys. We kind of just have to reverse that,” he said.
The Wolverines and Alabama kick off on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl.