The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 93 made all the difference in playing or not playing in the national title game. "I think we should have been in that game," McGregor confirmed. "At the same time, we did everything to ourselves to not be in that game. For me, it's mixed feelings. I wish we would have been in the game, but we didn't deserve to. "We made too many mistakes, and at the end of the day, we shot ourselves in the foot. It's a game we should have won. We had a really strong team and a really good concept of the game plan. "We should have been in that [national championship] game, but now it's going to make it even sweeter when we will be." He made the last statement with the certitude which begged a follow-up. Mc- Gregor saw his own road veer from high school stardom to a devastating setback, to doubt and quiet agony, to a comeback culminating in exultation before a silent and suffering Ohio State crowd. Now, he has a message for Michigan fans regarding the next step. "This is our year," McGregor insisted. "We have everything we need to have, to win the national championship. We have the chemistry. We have the family feel around the building. "On the field, we have playmakers. We have a great O-line. We have one of the best teams, on paper, to ever play at Michigan. What we do with it is up to us. I definitely think this year is the natty or bust. "When they watch games, expect the hardest-playing Michigan defense and Michigan offense you guys have seen. It's going to be a really good year." ❑ Michigan has become "Edge Rusher U." in the minds of many, and the Wolver- ines' recent NFL Draft history provides the receipts. U-M has a good thing going, not only on the field but also when it comes to the evaluations of those helping the Wolverines to Big Ten championships and an on-field resurgence returning them to national prominence. Senior Braiden McGregor wants to emulate the success of his forerunners in the menacing edge department. He doesn't have to look far to understand what success on the field for Michigan can mean for a professional future. Here's a look at the last several NFL Drafts, and where those who played the edge position on Michigan's defensive front wound up. 2023 — 5th Round — Mike Morris, Seattle Seahawks Morris turned a strong senior season into second-team All-America and con- sensus first-team All-Big Ten status. He became the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defen- sive Lineman of the Year for the Wolverines, leading the team with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He also delivered 4 quarterback hurries, 3 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. 2022 — 1st Round — Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions Hutchinson led Michigan's charge back to football prominence nationally, be- coming a consensus All-American and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Michigan's Male Athlete of the Year in 2021-22, the two-time captain earned the Lombardi Award, the Ted Hendricks Award, and the Woodson-Nagurski Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, among others. He posted 62 tackles as a senior, 16.5 for loss, and a program-record 14 sacks, along with 3 pass breakups, 12 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. 2022 — 2nd Round — David Ojabo, Baltimore Ravens Ojabo became a second-team All-American during his final season at Michigan, as well as a consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick. His 35 tackles included 12 for loss, 11 sacks, 3 pass breakups, 8 quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a Michigan-record 5 forced fumbles. 2021 — 1st Round — Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts Paye became the No. 21 player taken in the 2021 NFL Draft after a strong junior season at Michigan followed by a COVID-truncated senior year. As a junior, Paye made 50 tackles, 12.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. He shared the Richard Katcher Award with Hutchinson as Michigan's best defensive lineman. 2020 — 2nd Round — Josh Uche, New England Patriots Uche became Michigan's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2019, making second-team All-Big Ten in the eyes of conference coaches. He posted 35 tackles, 11.5 of them for loss, with 8.5 sacks, leading the team in the two latter categories. 2020 — 5th Round — Michael Danna, Kansas City Chiefs The grad transfer made the most of his year at Michigan, recording 38 tackles, 3 for loss and a forced fumble. In his 13 games of action, he showed enough promise to get drafted and went on to win a Super Bowl with the Chiefs. — John Borton U-M Has An Edge In The NFL Draft McGregor has had a long road back after tearing the medial collateral ligament, posterior cruciate liga- ment and meniscus in his right knee during his senior season at Port Huron (Mich.) Northern High School. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL