Edge Josaiah Stewart picks Michigan, U-M's latest huge portal addition
Michigan continues to work the transfer portal as well as any team in the country. The Wolverines appear to be on the verge of adding another offensive lineman, and now have added Coastal Carolina edge Josaiah Stewart to the roster.
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Stewart announced his pledge on instagram and twitter.
Stewart entered the transfer portal just hours before his offer from the Wolverines. He has two years of eligibility remaining after playing a pair of campaigns at Coastal Carolina.
As our Clayton Sayfie reported earlier this month, the 6-2, 230-pounder is coming off an outstanding season for the Chanticleers. He was tied for his team’s lead with 10 tackles for loss, adding 41 total stops, 3.5 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries and 1 blocked kick. He was named second-team All-Sun Belt after being recognized as the league’s preseason player of the year.
Stewart generated 40 pressures on the year, leading Coastal Carolina and ranking tied for 30th nationally among edge rushers. Despite being undersized for the position, Stewart played 514 of his 529 defensive snaps at the edge spot in 2022.
The Chanticleers ranked 97th nationally in total defense and 101st in scoring defense. They play in the Birmingham Bowl against East Carolina Dec. 27.
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Stewart was even more productive as a freshman in 2021, leading the Sun Belt with 12.5 sacks. That ranked fifth nationally. He added 43 tackles, including 15.5 behind the line of scrimmage, with 3 forced fumbles. He led his squad with 41 pressures.
WATCH: Josaiah Stewart 2021 freshman season highlights
He was named a true freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and ESPN.com, while also being selected as a Phil Steele All-American honorable mention. He landed on the All-Sun Belt first team and earned the league’s newcomer of the year honor.
Prior to arriving at Coastal Carolina, Stewart was a three-star prospect and the No. 935 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, according to the On3 Consensus recruiting rankings. He was ranked as the No. 90 edge defender in the class and the No. 4 player in the state of Massachusetts, hailing from Everett (Mass.) High, the same school that produced Michigan senior defensive back Mike Sainristil.
Michigan will likely lose its sack leader, senior EDGE Mike Morris (7.5), to the NFL after this season. Another significant contributor, graduate Taylor Upshaw, may move on after his fifth season.
Watch for more on this development in the hours and days to come …
