How many sacks will Mazi have?
Hard to believe that Mazi has zero career sacks, but I’m bullish on him having a breakout season. Over/under is 3.5 sacks. Do you think the #1 Freak on Feldman’s Freak List goes over or under? I’m taking the push, I think he gets 3.5 sacks this year.
August 13th, 2022 at 4:06 AM ^
Under. Nose tackles don't get many sacks unless they're superhuman fast off the snap like Mo Hurst.
August 13th, 2022 at 4:42 AM ^
Agreed with the under.
Mazi‘s going to playing between 330-340 lbs. His role isn’t to rack up sacks. Ideally he will be making it easier for his teammates to clean up though. He’ll obviously play more snaps, but for comparisons sake Jordan Davis had 3 sacks in the last 2 seasons and we all know that he was a freak.
Mo Hurst on the other hand played between 280-290 typically. He was more of Aaron Donald win with quickness type, which Mazi clearly is not.
August 13th, 2022 at 10:59 AM ^
Mo was a different breed. I looked up DTs who I thought were pretty solid at getting after the QB -- Mike Martin, Alan Branch, Ryan Glasgow, Rob Renes, etc -- and none of them topped 3.5 sacks in a season.
August 13th, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
Also Mazi had zero sacks last year. Will he improve as a player? Sure. Does the number of sacks he gets matter? Nope.
August 13th, 2022 at 6:08 AM ^
The nearest White Castle is at Carpenter and Packard, which is fairly accessible from campus; so I’m going to go with over 3.5 sacks.
August 13th, 2022 at 7:28 AM ^
This is some solid outside the box thinking - but they are served in a box, so this is just solid all around thinking.
August 13th, 2022 at 8:08 AM ^
Solid comment.
August 13th, 2022 at 8:12 AM ^
But the intersection at Carpenter is all tore up...read Cesar Ruiz and Jake Long in the right turn lane.
August 13th, 2022 at 10:12 AM ^
The sack of 10 has been a thing as long as White Castle has I think. You need to get that 30 spot crave case to get it in a box.
August 14th, 2022 at 7:59 AM ^
That reader must be from the south where we have Krystal and call them “sack fulls”.
August 13th, 2022 at 7:47 AM ^
My money is on under. He’s a DT so them having a ton of sacks is unlikely unless they are true superstar gamewreckers.
August 13th, 2022 at 7:58 AM ^
One hundred and 2
August 13th, 2022 at 8:12 AM ^
Under... At ~320 pounds in the middle, he's not going to get through a OC/OG double team to get a QB very often. For the nose to get one, the DE's have to obliterate the edges and leave absolutely nowhere for the QB to go. Also need the second level to shut off all outlets. Unless he has a Hurst shifter in his 'Freak' toolbox, it ain't happening very often...
Edit: Will add that he'll have more TFLs than sacks...
August 13th, 2022 at 10:54 AM ^
Or the QB's foot gets stepped on by the OC, QB stumbles back but stays on his feet, OC gets wrecked by 335lb of Mazi, and then Mazi jumps on the QB because he's only 4 feet away and not in a body position to take off running or throw the ball away. It happens. Probably down near the goal line or on 3rd/4th short when the QB is under center. But it happens.
August 14th, 2022 at 9:39 AM ^
This is very specific. But too soon. This will always be too soon...
August 13th, 2022 at 8:34 AM ^
Definitely under, and it’s not close. He’s a nose tackle in a 3-4 style defense. He can challenge for all-B1G honors but it wont be because of stats.
August 13th, 2022 at 11:05 AM ^
I agree that they won’t be tied to his stats but It will indirectly be tied to stats. If our ILBs get 8-10 sacks and we have one of the best run defenses in the conference he’s likely a first team all B1G for eating up two blocks to allow them to get home.
August 13th, 2022 at 8:45 AM ^
Coaching is a huge difference-maker...he finally has one this year. 340 pounds with a 33" vertical should translate to being significantly explosive off the snap...we will see.
August 13th, 2022 at 1:21 PM ^
A 33-inch vertical would be impressive on a 330-lb human, but per Feldman and the program, Mazi has a jaw-dropping 44-inch vertical.
August 14th, 2022 at 12:16 PM ^
Didn't Michael Jordan have a 48" vertical? There is no way in any human occupied universe that Mazi has a 44" vertical. I fully believe he is a freak athlete, but I also believe the article misprinted 14 as 44 until some video surfaces.
August 13th, 2022 at 9:04 AM ^
O ye of little faith. Mazi breaks the mold and gets six sacks by hurling hapless linemen at the quarterback. Don’t need to be fast to catch a lineman.
August 13th, 2022 at 9:11 AM ^
The more he gets, the worse he is.
#gary #Rashan #betterthanstats
I know I know. I'm just joking around. But I'm not.
August 13th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
under.
im calling it - he’ll be all-b1G, but it won’t be because of sacks.
August 13th, 2022 at 9:35 AM ^
Under. He won't be playing on obvious passing downs. In passing situations, U-M will likely continue using large DEs or faster DTs in the middle. See: Mike Morris last year, who lined up as a DT on passing downs.
August 13th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
I think he will have between 4.2 and 2.7
August 13th, 2022 at 10:02 AM ^
I’ll take the under to ensure he hits the over
August 13th, 2022 at 10:07 AM ^
Under. Maybe 2.
August 13th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^
Depends on how much groceries he buys.
August 13th, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
Don I will take 1.5...
AGAINST OHIO!
August 13th, 2022 at 1:26 PM ^
If his season total is 1.5 and they all come against OSU, that would be very good.
August 13th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
Everybody will get at least three sacks in the UConn game alone, including the safeties.
August 13th, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^
I'll take the over. Ill guess 5 just because of that non conference schedule. I think he gets 3 in September. Probably 2 more the rest the season
August 13th, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^
I'll go with the under if the line is 3.5. It's so challenging for interior lineman to get sacks and stats in general, but I think he can muster at least two sacks on the season, possible a third. I'll be happily wrong if he hits the over!
August 13th, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
Eleventy
August 13th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
Under. Mazi will be getting double teams much of the year.
August 13th, 2022 at 3:42 PM ^
I'll go with the under even though the Freaks List made him sound like the second coming of Aaron Donald. It's just so rare for even a dominant nose tackle to have both the first step and power to slam through double teams coming from the center and guard.
Vince Wilfork is considered a great NFL NT around which a D-line could be built, and in top sacks years he had 3 and averaged like 1.5 per year over his career. The NT is almost always the unsung hero of a great D-line, and that would be exactly what we'd want from Mazi.
Take on double teams, stuff the run up the middle, push the pocket back, and free up space for the DE's, LB's and safeties to make plays and he will have done everything and more than we need.
Vince Wilfork? - Yes please!
August 16th, 2022 at 2:06 AM ^
3.5 on the money. All against cupcakes w bad IOL and QBs holding the ball. He’ll get serious and collapse the pocket against good teams, instead of attacking half the shoulder with a move.