The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 29 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL our biggest receivers, and he's a great athlete. I thought he's a good receiver last year and didn't really get the op- portunity to show that. Hopefully this year, he's gonna be in that fold catching balls and making critical blocks." — Anthony Broome EDGE RUSHERS ARE STEPPING UP THIS SPRING Michigan is looking for more produc- tion from the edge pass rushers this year with Mike Morris and Eyabi Okie de- parting (Morris to the NFL Draft, Okie to UNC-Charlotte), but there are sev- eral candidates. Two have made some noise in the early going — Coastal Caro- lina transfer Josaiah Stewart and senior Braiden McGregor. Their styles might be different, but both are making plays. Observers have said Stewart is extremely quick off the ball and already opening eyes. "I would just say edge, outside line- backer," he told former Michigan All- American Jon Jansen of his role on the "In the Trenches" podcast in late March. "Edge of the defense, rushing the passer, setting edges … that would be my forte. "I feel like my speed and my natural le- verage I have at my size … some edges, it may be harder to bend at different sizes. It may be harder to get under certain tackles. But just with my natural lever- age I find it easier to bend around edges and get under tackles." His go-to is the rip move, he added … set the blocker up with some power, finesse the edge. "You've got to go speed to power, keep the tackles on their toes," Stewart continued. "I really define myself as a speed rusher, but don't shy away from my power, because it's there. "Some people might be, 'Oh he's small. He hasn't got power.' I got it … but definitely some speed moves." McGregor, meanwhile, started com- ing on at the end of last season, shining in a 45-23 win at Ohio State. He knocked down passes, made plays on the edge to the point that Harbaugh called him "the guy that's on the verge of stardom" in December. He's taken that to heart and is ready to live up to the hype. "Every day at practice it's like we're playing Ohio State … go as hard as you can," McGregor said. "I want to win ev- ery rep [whoever] I go against. If I don't, as I get done, I go right over to the video board and watch it, watch it, and grab any coach and say, 'Hey, what do you think here?'" He's received positive feedback, Mc- Gregor added, starting even before spring ball. " [ D e fe n s ive c o o rd i n a to r] Je s s e Minter said, 'Man, you have what it takes … it's all mentality,'" McGregor recalled. "'You know you are the same size as [for- mer All-American] Aidan [Hutchinson]. You have the same physical tools, and you saw what he did with it. So … it's your turn.'" And he's ready to make the most of it after a season in which he notched 17 tackles, including 5 for loss, 2 sacks and 2 passes broken up. It's been a long road for him, but the senior now seems primed to take that step. A serious knee injury sapped some of his athleticism and his confidence, and it took a while to bounce back and regain the mo- bility he'd lost. He even considered a move to tight end, doubting himself and won- dering why it wasn't "clicking" for him. The injury, McGregor acknowledged, set him back further than he thought. It's now behind him. "This spring, it's like, 'All right — you're expected to be our guy on the edge and make an impact like the guys before me. Step into their shoes,'" McGregor said. "It's a lot different than the previous spring, but I went with it and ran with it. I like it." So do his teammates. Junior linebacker Junior Colson called him a "beast" and senior tackle Kris Jenkins deemed him a "freak" for his early play. He and Stewart, along with veterans like Jaylen Harrell, will get their shot to take the pass rush to another level. — Chris Balas Senior edge rusher Braiden McGregor was tabbed by head coach Jim Harbaugh as "the guy that's on the verge of stardom" in December. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 2023 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Location/Time (TV) Apr. 1 SPRING GAME 3 p.m. (BTN) Sept. 2 EAST CAROLINA Ann Arbor Sept. 9 UNLV Ann Arbor Sept. 16 BOWLING GREEN Ann Arbor Sept. 23 RUTGERS Ann Arbor Sept. 30 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. Oct. 7 at Minnesota Minneapolis Oct. 14 INDIANA Ann Arbor Oct. 21 at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. Oct. 28 Bye — Nov. 4 PURDUE Ann Arbor Nov. 11 at Penn State University Park, Pa. Nov. 18 at Maryland College Park, Md. Nov. 25 OHIO STATE Ann Arbor Dec. 2 Big Ten Championship Indianapolis