Michigan football's Mazi Smith facing felony weapon charge, court records show

David Jesse, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith (58) pressures Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford (14) during the second half Oct. 15, 2022 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
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Michigan football star defensive lineman Mazi Smith is facing a felony weapons charge stemming from an Oct. 7, 2022 incident, Washtenaw County court records show.

The charges were filed on Wednesday, records show, and stem from some incident in Ann Arbor. Details of the incident or why it took nearly two months to file charges were not immediately available.

Smith played in Saturday's game against Ohio State, which U-M won to advance to the Big Ten championship game Saturday in Indianapolis. He is a senior from Grand Rapids.

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Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement released Thursday afternoon that Smith has been "honest and forthcoming" about the incident and that he will "continue to participate as a member of the team."

Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh also said in the statement: "I have respect for our judicial process and with that respect brings confidence that a fair and just resolution is forthcoming. Mazi’s character and the trust that he has earned over the past four years will continue to be considered throughout the process."

Messages to the Ann Arbor Police and Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office also have not been returned.

Eastern Michigan basketball star Emoni Bates was pulled over by Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 18 and arrested on two gun charges. Bates was arraigned the next day. Charges were dropped against Bates in October.

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Smith played in Michigan's game at Indiana the day following the incident. He had five tackles (four solo) in U-M's 31-10 win in Bloomington, Indiana. Smith has played in every other game since the incident.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's Mazi Smith facing felony weapons charge