Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart discusses his monster season, bye week vibe, freshman who could break out

Michigan Wolverines football senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart isn’t just the FBS’ active leader with 26.5 career sacks, he’s pacing the Big Ten with 5 quarterback takedowns despite missing one week with an injury.

“I figured with the work I put in, the results would show,” Stewart said. “But not really too worried about the media or the outside attention. Just kinda worried about what’s going on in this building.”

While he’s having a big season individually, the Wolverines aren’t off to the start they envisioned coming off last year’s national championship. But the Maize and Blue have high hopes for the second half of the season, with all of their goals still in front of them despite having a slim margin for error down the stretch.

“We’re cool. We’re not doubting ourselves,” Stewart said on Michigan’s bye week before taking on Illinois Oct. 19 in Champaign. “We’re not walking around sad with our heads down. We have a lot of football left to play. Just working on getting better.”

Stewart missed the Minnesota game Sept. 28 with an injury before returning Oct. 5 at Washington. He registered 4 tackles and a sack in the 27-17 loss to the Huskies, and now he’s focused on making sure he’s as healthy as possible for the second half of the season.

“Really taking care of my body. It’s a long season,” Stewart noted. “Getting that right and just helping the guys, bringing them along, helping those young guys, because depth will be important for us later on in the season, so getting those guys ready to play.”

Senior EDGE TJ Guy isn’t a young player — he’s been in Ann Arbor a while — but this is his breakout campaign after waiting his turn behind talented defensive ends, many of whom are now in the NFL. Guy has started the last two games due to Stewart’s injury and junior Derrick Moore being out at Washington, and he put up 1.5 sacks in the loss and 2.5 over the two-week stretch.

Stewart and Guy go back years, before both entered college, with Guy heading to Michigan and Stewart going to Coastal Carolina his first two seasons (2021-22).

“Huge,” Stewart said of Guy stepping up. “TJ’s been a guy since me and him were committed to Boston College years ago that I knew he had a lot of talent. I’m really proud of him. He’s stepped up in a huge way for us, and he’ll continue to do that all season.

“I’ve seen TJ … I played against him in high school, as well. He was a tackle and I was a D-end. Just seeing his growth as a player, as a human, his character has been going up and up since I’ve gotten here. I’m really proud of him.”

Michigan’s defense isn’t as deep as it was last season, forcing the starters to play more snaps, but the bye week is an opportunity to build more of it for the stretch run. Freshman EDGE Dominic Nichols is a first-year player that head coach Sherrone Moore pinpointed as someone who could impact in the second half of the season. Stewart circled him as a newcomer who is impressing, too.

“Dom Nichols. He’s been showing flashes all year,” Stewart said of freshmen standing out. “[Wide receiver] I’Marion Stewart on offense. He’s a great baller, killer, athlete there. Jadyn Davis, quarterback. He’s been doing good. Ben Roebuck, O-lineman. There are plenty of guys who have been showing flashes.”

Stewart went in depth on why Nichols has been so impressive.

“Just the way he flashes,” the Michigan standout said. “He still kinda plays like a high schooler, which is good in ways. You see guys like Alabama’s [wide receiver] Ryan Williams, guys showing flashy stuff. He plays like that, and it translates well. It’s rare — it’s rare to see that. He’s a guy that just turned 18 a couple weeks ago, so he’s really young and doing good.

“He’s inexperienced, but it works. It’s surprising how it works. He’ll do like a crazy spin moves, and it works. I would probably never think to do a move like that, so I’m just surprised by it.”