OVERVIEW
Mauti’s decisive and explosive closing burst helped him to become a leader and productive player for the Nittany Lions during his collegiate career. He shows the natural ability to locate the ball and take proper angles to make plays in traffic as well as in the open field. The talented, instinctive and hard-hitting Mauti participated in selected individual drills during 2012 spring camp and was ready for his final season. A Butkus Award and postseason honors candidate, he was a fierce competitor and one of the Nittany Lions’ hardest workers.
Mauti possesses the athleticism and speed to chase down a ball carrier or blanket a running back or tight end in pass coverage. In 39 games at Penn State, including 22 as a starter, the linebacker was involved in making plays on 69 passes targeted into his area. He allowed only 21 of those balls to be caught (30.43%), limiting those catchers to just 6.0 yards per completion.
Prior to his arrival on the Penn State campus in 2008, Mauti was a linebacker at Mandeville (La.) High School, where he was rated the third-best middle linebacker prospect in the prep ranks by ESPN (placed 58th overall on the ESPN Top 150 team). He received a four-star prospect rating from Rivals.com, as the Louisiana Top 40 (ranked eighth overall) talent was ranked fourth in the nation by that recruiting service among the nation’s linebackers having the “best instincts.”
Mauti also received four-star prospect status and ranked ninth among the nation’s line-backers, according to Scout.com. The 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant helped the Skippers compile a 10-3 record in 2007. The All-Class 5A and All-District VI choice registered 24 tackles-for-loss, including four sacks, among his 121 tackles during that campaign. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns and also recovered a pair of fumbles.
As a true freshman at Penn State in 2008, Mauti appeared in all 13 games. He appeared late in contests with the defensive second unit, but made a name for himself on the kickoff coverage team, leading the Nittany Lions with 13 tackles (6 solos) on special teams. He also compiled a total of 26 stops (12 solos), including one for a loss while causing a fumble.
Later, the senior was named team captain and had a banner campaign. He finished second on the team with a career- high 95 tackles, chipping in with 2.5 sacks and four stops-for-loss. He paced the team with three interceptions, including a 99-yarder vs. Illinois that is the second-longest return of a pass theft in school history.
CAREER NOTES
Mauti appeared in 39 games at Penn State, starting 22 contests…He recorded 210 tackles (102 solos) with 4.5 sacks for minus 35 yards, 13.5 stops for losses of 59 yards and four quarterback pressures while posting 37 tackles (17 solos) on special teams…Caused four fumbles, recovered another, picked off four passes for 125 yards in returns and deflected six others…He registered 12 of his tackles inside the red zone, including four on goal-line plays…In the 2012 Illinois contest, he returned an interception 99 yards before being tackled at the goal-line…The only player with a longer interception return in school history is Andre Collins, who had a 102-yard runback vs. Brigham Young in the 1989 Holiday Bowl.
2012 SEASON
Mauti was named to the Butkus Award Watch List, an honor given to the top linebacker in college football…Added All- American honorable mention and All-Big Ten Conference first-team accolades from The NFL Draft Report…Started the team’s first 11 games at right outside linebacker…Finished second on the team with a career-high 95 tackles (48 solos), as the Nittany Lions captain added 2.5 sacks and four stops for losses of 31 yards…Led the squad with three interceptions for 125 yards in returns that included the second-longest runback in school history, a 99-yarder vs. Illinois, as he had two thefts vs. the Illini, adding six tackles with an assisted sack…Led the Nittany Lions with nine tackles vs. Virginia and added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery…Produced 12 stops vs. Ohio University and was credited with 12 more tackles, adding a 21-yard sack and two hits for minus 26 yards vs. Navy…Had a 20-yard interception return, eight tackles and a sack in a 38-14 win over Iowa…Followed with 13 tackles vs. Ohio State and 10 hits with a forced fumble vs. Nebraska.
2011 SEASON
Had his first career interception…The fourth-year junior had 19 passes targeted into his area, as Mauti rerouted receivers away from eight of those throws (42.11%), allowing just six receptions for 33 yards (31.58 pass completion percentage), an average of 5.5 yards per pass completion and 1.74 yards per attempt, as he recorded 10 third-down stops vs. the passing game. Opponents went on to average 130.33 yards per game passing in contests that Mauti played in. With the junior out of the lineup, the Nittany Lions yielded 208.7 aerial yards per game, including giving up 532 yards passing vs. Houston in the TicketCity Bowl…Mauti did not allow an opponent to record any first downs in 2011, as he led a defense that surrendered a total of only five touchdowns and 726 yards with the linebacker on the field (181.5 yards per game)…In the Alabama clash, Mauti came up with a career-high 13 tackles, as he also deflected a pair of passes, but in the first matchup between the national powers in Beaver Stadium since 1989, third-ranked Alabama downed No. 23 Penn State, 27-11, as the Nittany Lions saw its 23-game home non-conference win streak, tied for second-longest in the nation, come to an end.
2010 SEASON
Finished fifth on the team with 68 tackles (32 solos) that included two sacks for minus 10 yards, 5.5 stops for losses of 18 yards and a pair of quarterback pressures…Appeared in a total of 476 defensive snaps in 11 contests, starting vs. Alabama, Kent State, Temple, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern and Ohio State at left outside linebacker…Also deflected on pass and recorded three tackles (2 assists) for the punt coverage unit…Made 48 plays vs. the running attack, limiting those ball carriers to 125 yards (2.6 ypc), no touchdowns and just two first downs, as he charged from the opposite side of the field to deliver three touchdown-saving tackles on runners that had eluded other PSU defenders…Posted 12 third- down hits and two more on fourth-down snaps vs. the opponents’ runners, as he collected eight of those hits inside he red zone, including one on a goal line play.
2009 SEASON
Received a medical redshirt, retaining two more years of college football eligibility.
2008 SEASON
Mauti graduated early from high school and enrolled at Penn State in January, 2008, in time to compete during spring drills, where he was the recipient of the Jim O'Hora Award, presented to the defense's most improved player…The true freshman excelled on special teams and with the defensive squad’s second unit, recording a total of 26 tackles (12 solos) with a stop for a 2-yard loss, a quarterback pressure and a forced fumble while logging action in 249 snaps…Led the kickoff coverage team with 12 tackles (5 solos).
AGILITY TESTS
4.64 in the 40-yard dash…1.61 10-yard dash…2.59 20-yard dash…4.10 20-yard shuttle…11.44 60-yard shuttle…6.89 three-cone drill…34-inch vertical jump…9’10” broad jump… 420-pound bench press…Bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times…540-pound squat…445-pound power clean…32 ½-inch arm length…10 ½-inch hands…77 1/8-inch wingspan.
HIGH SCHOOL
Mauti attended Mandeville (La.) High School, playing football for head coach Guy LeCompte while graduating with a 3.0 grade point average…Rated the third-best middle linebacker prospect in the prep ranks by ESPN (placed 58th overall on the ESPN Top 150 team)…Received a four-star prospect rating from Rivals.com, as the Louisiana Top 40 (ranked eighth overall) talent was ranked fourth in the nation by that recruiting service among the nation’s linebackers having the “best instincts.”...Received four-star prospect status and ranked ninth among the nation’s line-backers, according to Scout.com…The 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant helped the Skippers compile a 10-3 record in 2007…The All-Class 5A and All-District VI choice registered 24 tackles-for-loss, including four sacks, among his 121 tackles during that campaign. He also returned two interceptions for touchdowns and also recovered a pair of fumbles…As a junior, Mauti played on both sides of the ball for a 6-5 unit…Some of his better prep performances came vs. Denham Springs, where he hauled in a pass for a 10-yard touchdown. He also paced the Skippers in tackles in each of the Walker (10 hits), St. Paul (five of nine tackles were for losses) and Slidell (13 tackles, 3 for loss)…Signed his national letter-of-intent to attend Penn State on June 24th, 2007, spurning scholarship offers from Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tulane.
PERSONAL
Mauti graduated in December, 2011 with a degree in Labor and Employment Relations…Son of Nancy and Rich Mauti…Rich was a member of the Penn State football team from 1975-76, where he competed as a wide receiver and return specialist…Rich’s oldest son, and Michael’s brother, Patrick, was also a reserve wide receiver and special teams coverage performer during his playing days at Penn State (2005-09)…Patrick’s and Michael’s sister, Rachel, was a standout volleyball player, competing for the Southern Spikers and for Mandeville High School before going on to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette…Born Michael D. Mauti on 1/19/90 in New Orleans, Louisiana…Resides in Mandeville, Louisiana.
