Michigan star Mazi Smith facing felony gun charges nearly 2 months after incident
By Josh Wilson
Michigan football star Mazi Smith has been charged with felony gun charges that could land him in prison for up to five years if convicted.
In early October, Michigan football star Mazi Smith was involved in an incident that resulted in Smith being charged on Wednesday for carrying a concealed weapon. According to Michigan Live, if convicted, the defensive tackle could end up in prison for up to five years and receive a fine of $2,500.
The details of the incident — and why the charges took nearly two months to be filed — are unclear, as at this point all that has been made available is the arrest warrant.
Smith played against Indiana the day after the October incident occurred, logging five total tackles, the second-most of any single game this season for Smith. He has 43 total tackles this season, sixth-most on the team, and has been an integral part of the Wolverine’s undefeated season.
Mazi Smith’s draft stock will be in question following the incident
Again, the details here are incredibly cloudy, and the timeline between the incident and charges is curious to say the least. Smith is a senior and certainly hopeful about prospects in the NFL Draft this spring.
Most analysts have Smith ranked as a top-five player in his position group, but his stock could take a massive hit due to this felony charge. Teams will be concerned that, if the charge isn’t settled to their liking by the time the draft comes around, Smith may never be able to see an NFL field at all. Even if the charges are dropped, questions of Smith’s character will come front of mind before any potential on-field assessments.
Several months stand between now and the draft, so there’s plenty of time for this charge to be dropped, settled, or otherwise completed with some certainty before teams need to make a decision on Smith.
John Shea will represent Smith according to ESPN. Shea previously defended a UM professor for transporting a minor across states lines for sex. The professor was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty.
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