Michigan football: 10 thoughts on 10 EDGE rushers after spring ball

Michigan football’s 2023 spring camp is complete with around four months to go until fall preparations for the season.

The Michigan pass rushers and defensive linemen are helmed by Mike Elston, who is entertaining his second season with the program. There is a nice mixture of program stalwarts and new blood in the Wolverine pass rush this year

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Here are thoughts and storylines for each scholarship edge rusher coming out of the spring.

Senior Jaylen Harrell

On paper, Jaylen Harrell might be one of the most underrated players on Michigan’s roster. He is a three-down defender that can rush the passer, set an edge in the run game and hold up in coverage down the field. He made a couple of huge play in last year’s win over Ohio State and a lot of what he does goes unnoticed. If he can be a little more consistent in generating pressure and finishing off sacks, he has a shot to shoot up NFL Draft boards in 2023.

Senior Braiden McGregor

Braiden McGregor is another one of Herbert’s transformations that could play huge dividends this fall. In the few glimpses we have gotten of him in social videos and press settings, he looks as physically developed as any player on the roster. McGregor has had to deal with body type comparisons to Aidan Hutchinson, but might finally be in a position to cash in on the hype. He had 12 pressures and 2.5 sacks last season in 220 snaps played. An increase of 100 or so snaps feels logical given his ascent up the depth chart. He has the chance to be one of. Michigan’s biggest breakout players.

Junior Kechaun Bennett

Kechaun Bennett has not recorded a stat in 2 seasons with the Wolverines and played in 3 non-conference games in 2022. It is hard to see him finding a spot this season to contribute at a higher level.

Junior TJ Guy

Reserve EDGE defender TJ Guy played in 10 games last season, recording 4 total tackles. He has flashed at times when given opportunities to play but needs a little more consistency to crack the rotation this year. This is an important upcoming fall camp for him.

Junior Tyler McLaurin

Tyler McLaurin was a special teamer and scout team participant who played in 4 games during the 2022 season. Where he fits into this group is anyone’s guess and he feels primed for mop-up duty in 2023.

Junior Josaiah Stewart

Josaiah Stewart stands at 6-2, 230 pounds, making him a bit undersized compared to his peers and a bit of an outlier as far as NFL prospects off the EDGE come. From a body type and play-style perspective, he reminds me of Hasson Reddick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Stewart has an explosive first step that should allow him to have an early advantage against his opponents and he does a really nice job converting his rush from speed to power. Plus, he has the proven production to boot with 79 tackles, 25.5 tackles for a loss, 16.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and a pass defended during his two seasons at Coastal Carolina. The hype on him this offseason has been legitimate.

Sophomore Derrick Moore

Michigan is expecting a big sophomore leap from Derrick Moore, who is poised for an expanded role in the pass rush rotation. He played in all 14 games in 2022 as a true freshman, recording 8 total tackles and a pair of sacks. Moore is a power rusher that could be moved around up front on the Wolverine defensive line and physically looked the part as a true freshman. Now that he has a full year of experience under his belt, he might wind up being too gifted to keep off the field. Moore is a disruptor and Michigan needs more of that in its pass-rush repertoire this year.

Freshman Enow Etta

Enow Etta was the highest-ranked signee of the 2023 class at No. 123 overall and will be on campus this summer. He was dominant during his senior season playing in Texas, posting 122 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, five forced fumbles and two touchdowns. It would not be a surprise to see him put on some weight and play a bit inside.

Freshman Breeon Ishmail

Michigan will bring in Breeon Ishmail as a project and see where it goes from there. He played wide receiver and linebacker in high school and the staff loves his athletic traits and potential. If EDGE is the plan, they are starting from scratch with him, so file this name away for a few years down the road to see how the experiment pans out.

Freshman Aymeric Koumba

Standing at 6-6, 230, Aymeric Koumba is another raw, traits-based freshman EDGE that is going to need some time in the lab with the coaches and strength staff. Some believe that the French product would have been a four-star prospect had he played his high school ball in the United States.

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