Michigan football intel: Two defenders among nation's most impressive spring standouts
On3’s Matt Zenitz polled sources from across the country to compile a list of the most impressive spring performers, and two Michigan Wolverines football standouts appeared on his article chronicling defensive players. Two EDGEs, senior Braiden McGregor and sophomore Derrick Moore, made the cut.
McGregor entered Michigan in 2020 while recovering from a knee injury he suffered in high school, and it took some time to both see meaningful playing time and regain his confidence. The latter is at an all-time high, the 6-foot-6, 261-pounder said this spring, and it’s helped him become potentially in line for starter snaps.
Moore, meanwhile, showed flashes last season, recording 8 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 pass breakup as a freshman. The 6-foot-3, 279-pounder played 224 defensive snaps amidst a crowded group of edge rushers. His 19.3-percent pass-rush win rate ranked second among Michigan defenders with over 100 snaps getting after the passer, behind Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year Mike Morris.
Senior Jaylen Harrell started all 14 games last year and is expected to be a starter again this fall, but there are snaps there for the taking on the opposite side and rotationally.
Zenitz’s intel suggests McGregor and Moore will be able to fill the void of Morris and others departing.
“McGregor and Moore were two of the more impressive Michigan defensive players during the spring to the point that one source predicted that both will be ‘household names’ by the end of the season,” the insider wrote.
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Moore, especially, has sky-high potential. Only a sophomore, his combination of speed and power at his size have been impressive, including in the April 1 spring game. He recorded 7 tackles, including 2 behind the line of scrimmage, making life difficult for the Wolverines’ mix-and-match offensive line.
“Derrick Moore is a monster,” a source told Zenitz. “His ceiling is first round.”
McGregor posted 16 tackles, 4.5 stops for loss, 2 sacks and 2 pass breakups last season. He showed up in big moments, too, with a sack against in-state rival Michigan State and 2 pass breakups in a win at hated Ohio State.
“The two of them are one just tailor-made for what we ask of that spot,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said on a recent episode of the In The Trenches podcast. “[They both] have a skill set to be really, really high-end players.”
Minter continued, discussing Moore: “The best part about Derrick is he has the mindset to be a really, really high-end dominant player. And then his skill set, and his physical tools match up with that. So he has a chance to be a high-, high-, high-end draft choice one day, high-end player, productive.”
Michigan appears to have plenty of options at EDGE heading into 2023 fall camp.
