Michigan football DT Mason Graham signs deal with Randy Wise Automotive
Michigan Wolverines football freshman defensive tackle Mason Graham has signed an NIL deal with Randy Wise Automotive. Valiant Management, owned by former Michigan football player Jared Wangler, is representing Graham.
Randy Wise has already signed deals with three Wolverines — junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, sophomore wide receiver Darrius Clemons and junior running back Tavierre Dunlap — and has said that it will soon add another player to its “family.”
“Randy Wise initially launched their first NIL partnership with J.J. McCarthy in February of 2022, and has since added 3 more NIL partnerships,” the company said in a press release. “The automotive group, based primarily in Genesee County, will team up with Graham on various marketing and charitable ventures over the course of the next two years.
“Since the growth of their NIL partnership with Valiant, Randy Wise and Michigan football teamed up in July of 2022 to volunteer their efforts with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint and United Way of Genesee County. In addition, Randy Wise has made a charitable donation to JJ’s For The Kids Foundation.”
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“With Valiant, we continue to expand the NIL program at Michigan and are excited to partner with Mason!”, said Chris Wise, Vice President of the Randy Wise Automotive Team. “We welcome him to the Randy Wise team and look forward to watching him continue to succeed at Michigan!”
“The NIL rule change has opened up great opportunities for college athletes from all over the country. I am excited to align myself with a great family owned Michigan brand,” Wangler said in a statement.”
Randy Wise is an auto dealer group with eight locations and 13 brands, having been founded in 1989. It’s the largest automotive group donor to a United Way in the state of Michigan.
Graham was one of Michigan’s standouts freshmen during the 2022 season and was named a freshman All-American by On3. He finished the year with 27 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup and 1 quarterback hurry.
Throughout the season, Graham expanded his arsenal of moves, while still maintaining his signature bull rush. His season was highlighted by registering 3 tackles in the Wolverines’ 45-27 win over Ohio State and notching sacks against Iowa and Nebraska.
Graham was the 10th-highest graded freshman of last season according to PFF.
“Only Illinois’ Jer’Zhan Newton earned a higher grade than Graham this season among Big Ten interior defensive linemen,” the site’s Max Chadwick wrote. “The former four-star’s 11.8-percent pass-rush win rate ranked fifth among that same group.”
