Michigan football's All-Big Ten DT Mazi Smith to enter 2023 NFL draft, per report
For the second consecutive season, Michigan football will have at least two key contributors on the defensive line to replace.
Monday afternoon, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith will enter the 2023 NFL draft instead of using his remaining year of eligibility to return to Ann Arbor for a fifth season with the Wolverines.
Two hours earlier, his fellow lineman Mike Morris announced on social media he is entering the 2023 NFL draft as well; Michigan had to replace pass-rushers Aidan Hutchinson (picked No. 2 overall) and David Ojabo (picked No. 45) a season ago and Smith and Morris played the two biggest roles in their departures.
Morris' announcement came not long after tight end Luke Schoonmaker made it public that he too will pursue his professional career. Two-time captain Ronnie Bell and senior cornerback DJ Turner both announced last week they are also entering the NFL draft.
Sprinkled in during the string of departures was the announced return of perhaps the Wolverines' most important player in the 2022 season: Blake Corum, saying on "The Rich Eisen Show" Monday afternoon that he is "coming back for it all" next season.
As for Smith, the 6-foot-3, 340-pound defensive tackle had an extremely productive season, even if it was masked by off field issues late in the season. Smith finished the regular season with 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack, while being named a first-team All-Big Ten defensive lineman.
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He was the main interior run stopper in a Wolverines defense that finished No. 3 in the nation against the run and was credited by fellow defensive tackle Kris Jenkins as the most underrated player on the team.
Smith started all 14 games for Michigan (13-1, 9-0 Big Ten) as the Wolverines won their second straight conference title, made it back to the College Football Playoff and won 13 games in a season for the first time in program history.
His 2022 wasn't without its faults, however, as Smith, 21, was pulled over and arrested Oct. 7 for carrying a concealed weapon, speeding and driving without a license. Despite Smith being arrested and taken to the police station for booking, he was not charged for nearly two months until the end of November.
Smith pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge after originally facing a felony, which could've carried a maximum of five years in prison. He is expected to be sentenced Jan. 12 under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which gives young adults a chance to avoid a criminal record if they successfully complete all conditions given to them.
Before the season started, Smith was listed at No. 1 overall on "The Athletic" writer Bruce Feldman's list of 2022 college football freaks, for his "unique physical abilities that wow even those who observe gifted athletes every day."
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's Mazi Smith to enter NFL draft: report
