By: Dave Birkett
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted: Aug 6, 2009 at 6:36 PM [Aug 6, 2009]
Brandon Graham is coming off one of the best seasons by any pass rusher in Michigan football history. Now, he could be closing in on a major award.
Graham was one of 30 players named to the preseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award Thursday. The award is given to the nation's top defensive end annually.
Punter Zoltan Mesko (Ray Guy Award) and running back Brandon Minor (Doak Walker Award) were named to watch lists at their respective positions earlier this week.
Graham had 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss last year. He has 19 career sacks, and should finish second on Michigan's career sack list behind Mark Messner (36).
Six other Big Ten players made the Hedricks watch list: Michigan State's Trevor Anderson, Illinois' Doug Pilcher, Northwestern's Corey Wootten, Ohio State's Lawrence Wilson and Indiana ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton.
Central Michigan's Frank Zombo is also on the list.
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NoBowl4Blue
Posted Aug 7 2009
Best U of M defender by far. However "D" has too many other question marks.
81wolverine
Posted Aug 7 2009
Brandon Graham is one of the 3 key experienced returnees on the defense (Donovan Warren and Obe Ezeh are the other two) who need to have "career" seasons for Michigan to have a shot at a winning season. Otherwise, the defense has too many new faces to stop the better offensive teams in the Big Ten. Graham is a great player that needs to be a big leader on D this year. Let's hope he can do it.
jimtrashel
Posted Aug 9 2009
Michigan will win the Big Ten this year. Great defenses feed off of great offenses. And there is no question that we will have a GREAT offense.