Tag: Braiden McGregor

2022 Season Countdown: #41 Braiden McGregor

Name: Braiden McGregor
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 265 lbs.
High school: Port Huron (MI) Northern
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked McGregor #45 and said he would be a backup outside linebacker (LINK). He made 5 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.
TTB Rating: 87

This is McGregor’s third straight year ranked in the 40s, and so far I don’t think I’ve been right. While I gave him a TTB Rating of 87 coming out of high school, I took some heat from a family member last fall when I said on Twitter that McGregor just didn’t look right and that I wasn’t sure he would ever get up to speed. McGregor had a nasty knee injury as a senior in high school, and his explosiveness just hasn’t been there. Last year he looked pretty average as a backup for Aidan Hutchinson while making just 5 tackles and a lone TFL against Northwestern.

The hope, of course, is that he ends up returning to form. After having to redshirt in 2020 and then being a third-stringer in 2021, this could be a time for a breakout now that Hutchinson is off to the NFL. I don’t think it will be full breakout time because Mike Morris is expected to be the starter, so we’ll see how many snaps McGregor can get while also contending with the likes of Julius Welschof, Taylor Upshaw, and others for snaps.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

What to Watch in the Spring Game

The spring game will be shown on the Big Ten Network on Saturday, April 2, at 12:00 p.m.

Here are a few things I’ll be curious to watch:

WHO TAKES OVER FOR HASSAN HASKINS?
Michigan needs to replace its leading rusher and toughest back in Hassan Haskins, a 6’1″, 220-pounder who is off to the NFL after rushing for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2021. The Wolverines have two very talented running backs left, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, but neither one has proven to be a bruiser or short yardage back. They have home run speed but were listed at 200 and 202 pounds, respectively, last season. Redshirt freshman Tavierre Dunlap (6’0″, 222) might be able to step into the role as a big back, but does he have the instincts and power that Haskins showed? Michigan doesn’t need a leading rusher – that will be Corum or Edwards – but they need someone who can pound the ball inside.

Hit the jump for more.

Polynesian Bowl participants: Michigan

Oakley (CA) Freedom WR Giles Jackson (image via Oregon Live))

The eight annual Polynesian Bowl will be played in Honolulu, HI, in January of 2024. Here are the Michigan participants over the years:

2023
Enow Etta, DE – Colleyville, TX
Amir Herring, C – West Bloomfield, MI

2022
Zeke Berry, S – Concord, CA
Mason Graham, DT – Anaheim, CA

2021
J.J. McCarthy, QB – La Grange Park, IL**

2020
Reece Atteberry, C – Aurora, CO
A.J. Henning, WR – Frankfort, IL
Braiden McGregor, DE – Port Huron, MI**
Jordan Morant, S – Oradell, NJ**
Kalel Mullings, LB – Milton, MA
Gregory Tarr, LS – Romeo, MI

2019
Giles Jackson, WR – Freedom, CA

2018
None

2017
Chuck Filiaga, OT – Aledo, TX
Corey Malone-Hatcher, DE – St. Joseph, MI**
Dylan McCaffrey, QB – Littleton, CO
Phillip Paea, DT – Berrien Springs, MI
Joshua Ross, LB – Orchard Lake, MI
Kurt Taylor, RB – Loganville, GA

*Scheduled to play in the upcoming game

**Selected but not participating due to injury/early enrollment

Michigan 59, Maryland 18

That was quietly ugly for Maryland. With my high school season having ended last week, I made the trip to Maryland because I had never been there for a game. Watching the game in person, Michigan was certainly in control for the whole game but in the first half, it seemed like the Terrapins were holding their own. Michigan should have been able to run all over them, but they couldn’t. Michigan should have been able to beat up and bruise Taulia Tagovailoa, but they couldn’t. It was a comfortable 24-3 lead at halftime, but it never seemed like Michigan was beating the pants off them. And then . . . well . . . the third quarter happened, when Michigan exploded for 28 points. Even though Maryland scored 15 in that stanza, the rout was on. I looked up at the scoreboard and thought, “Is Michigan about to score 60 on a Big Ten opponent not named Rutgers?” In truth, no, they weren’t. But they got as close as possible.

Hit the jump for more.

2021 Season Countdown: #45 Braiden McGregor

Name: Braiden McGregor
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 260 lbs.
High school: Port Huron (MI) Northern
Position: Outside linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked McGregor #42 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 87

McGregor suffered a terrible knee injury as a senior in high school during the 2019 season. With medical science the way it is, I thought he would be ready to play in 2020, but that turned out not to be the case.

Word out of practice is that McGregor is folliwing in Aidan Hutchinson’s footsteps as a strong player. The coaching staff is using the two in similar ways. Chris Hutchinson, Aidan’s dad, recently said that Aidan would be a standup outside linebacker on first and second downs before getting into a three-point stance to rush the passer on third down. Will McGregor be the #2 guy at outside linebacker? That remains to be seen. But I have heard good things about him, and I think McGregor is probably one of the top three most talented pass rushers on the team, along with Hutchinson and Jaylen Harrell. I hope the coaching staff is grooming him to replace Hutchinson in 2022.

Prediction: Backup outside linebacker