Michigan freshman defender playing multiple positions, 'will be a big-time player here'
When Michigan Wolverines football announced its 2024 signing class on Feb. 7, 2024, Mason Curtis was listed as an EDGE. As a recruit, he was labeled as a safety. When he committed to the Wolverines in June 2022, he was considered a linebacker.
Then, when Michigan released its roster during fall camp ahead of the 2024 campaign, Curtis showed up as a defensive back. The truth is, he’s moved around positions, defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said, including spending time as a safety. Morgan is very high on the 6-foot-5, 200-pounder.
“I love him. I love Mason Curtis,” Morgan said. “I think Mason will be a big-time player here. His time is coming.
“Early in the year he was with us, and then later on he’s been going kind of back and forth [between safety and linebacker].”
Curtis has yet to see game action yet — only six Michigan freshmen have earned time in games — but Morgan wouldn’t be surprised if he impacts at some point this season.
“Mason Curtis, if you told me there’s a young guy that’s not on the field right now moving forward, that’ll be in front of y’all [it could be Curtis].”
Morgan discussed what stands out about Curtis as a defender.
“I’m a big fan of Mason Curtis. He reminds me of [graduate safety] Makari Paige a little bit,” Morgan said. “If you ask Makari, Makari probably says he has a little bit more upside — not in a bad way, just because he’s just a younger player, just learning. Makari came in doing a lot of different things.
“This guy played outside linebacker, then he went to receiver. Now he’s just learning DB. So a lot of the football 101, he still has to work. But I think y’all will be really excited about Mason Curtis.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
JuJu Lewis
Elite QB decommits from USC
- 2New
5-star QB flip
Texas A&M commit Husan Longstreet flips to USC
- 3
Coaches Poll
Big changes to updated Top 25
- 4
Head coach fired
Temple to fire Stan Drayton
- 5
Kirby Smart calls out CFP
Georgia HC victory laps committee after win vs. Tennessee
Back in 2021, Michigan senior safety Rod Moore — a freshman at the time — began the season as a reserve nickel back, but he settled in at safety.
He was lauded as the player watching more film than any other Wolverine athlete, and after not playing much most of the year, he earned his opportunity to start and play 64 defensive snaps in a big-time win at Penn State. An Ohio native, Moore then tied for the team’s lead in tackles in a victory over Ohio State. He was a major contributor down the stretch on a Big Ten championship winning squad. Curtis could be in the same mold.
“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get an opportunity maybe later in the season when things start slowing down to help us out on Saturdays, whether it’s on [special] teams, whether it’s in the secondary,” Morgan said. “But I’m a huge fan of Mason Curtis.”
The praise for Curtis started in the summer after he arrived as a regular enrollee, behind the curve compared to some of his classmates who joined the team in January.
“There are a lot of talks about Mason Curtis, what he can be, the athlete he can be,” senior tight end / fullback Max Bredeson explained in an interview on The Wolverine Podcast. “But it’s hard to find out until camp, when you can really see someone go make a play.”
Clearly Curtis is still learning, but he might make some plays for Michigan this season.
