Junior fullback Ben Mason has been the talk of spring football.
The tough-minded Mason is getting reps on offense at both fullback and tight end, while also becoming a weapon on the defensive side of the ball. Throughout each practice, Mason plays wherever he is needed and splits his time half-and-half on each side of the ball.
The experience of playing so many different positions has been satisfying for Mason.
“I’ve been going back and forth pretty much every period,” he said. “Doing a lot of defensive line, running back, tight end. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m really enjoying it.”
Mason came to Michigan as a linebacker, but the coaches transitioned him into playing fullback his first two seasons. However, defense has always come instinctively for him.
“Ben is like a defensive minded player,” Michigan running backs coach Jay Harbaugh said. “That’s like his natural come out of the womb, penetrating into the backfield and sacking people. That’s what he was born to do, just wreak havoc.”
Along the defensive line, Mason is focusing on the three-technique position. This isn’t the first time he has played defensive line. In high school, he spent some time at the position, but it was in a limited capacity.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh came to Mason during winter conditioning to see if he wanted to play on defense as well as on offense. It was a no-brainer for him because he saw it as just another way to get on the field.
In addition to the increased number of reps, learning multiple positions hasn’t been too difficult for Mason.
“It’s really been a smooth transition to be honest,” he said. “It’s a lot of board and a lot of extra studying, but it’s what I like to do so it’s not a problem at all."
Although easy for Mason, going up against him during practice has been a nightmare for Michigan’s offense.
“Seeing him in the white jersey during practice, I’d rather have him in the blue [jersey], lead blocking,” senior running back Tru Wilson said.
In practice, Mason said he has been battling junior center Cesar Ruiz. It hasn’t been fun for Ruiz.
“I’ve only went against Ben really once or twice, but I remember the reps vividly, because it was so much yelling and grunting,” Ruiz said. “I almost didn’t believe it, like – ‘He’s really yelling at me right now.”
Many Wolverines have said that Mason screams every time he comes off the ball on defense. He said it’s not something he tries to do. Instead, it’s just something unconscious that just happens.
“When I first started doing it, I didn’t really notice,” Mason said. “I’m an enthusiastic guy. I like football. I guess it’s just a way for me to show it.”
Mason’s intensity helps him fit right in on defense. Getting a chance to learn both sides of the football at a high level should help him exponentially.
“I think just from a total understanding, it helps you a lot,” he said. “When you’re in a scheme like Don Brown’s scheme and you’ve seen pro-style offenses, you’ve seen some different types of offenses, you really have a great understanding of football and different things you can see on different sides of the football.”
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