Braiden McGregor: Michigan EDGE group has answered offseason questions

Michigan Wolverines football junior EDGE Braiden McGregor began his career playing catch up. He suffered a knee injury during his senior year of high school, was still rehabbing by the time he got to Ann Arbor as an early enrollee and missed time as a result.

McGregor got healthy, worked on his craft and bided his time behind star players, before taking on a bigger role this season.

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McGregor has still seen limited snaps, with his 177 defensive plays ranking 21st on the team. But he’s made one start, notched 11 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 2 sacks, and been an impact player off the bench.

“Started off, first three games are getting our feet wet, and we didn’t really have a starter going in,” McGregor said of Michigan’s EDGE situation and his role.

“I talk to [defensive coordinator] Coach [Jesse] Minter all the time, and it’s always about the process. How you prepare, how you practice all that. It’s really true.

“I got banged up after the Maryland game. My playing time went down, and then once I started coming back and able to practice more and be able to get the reps back up in practice, the playing time went back up. So it’s really trust the process, getting the process done with practice, film, meetings, everything like that. That’s really what we’re focusing on.”

With an increased amount of playing time, McGregor has gotten more comfortable on the field.

“Last year, it was like my first time playing, so everything was so fast,” he explained. “This year, I feel like I have a lot better grasp of my knowledge of the defense, as well as the knowledge of the offense, and I feel like I can slow the game down a little bit more and actually be able to read my keys and read the quarterback.”

McGregor was one of many unproven commodities for Michigan at the EDGE position entering this season, after stars Aidan Hutchinson (14 sacks last season) and David Ojabo (11) departed for the NFL. Several have stepped up, though, led by senior Mike Morris, who has 7.5 sacks and is the leader of the bunch.

“I definitely think that we answered that question pretty quick,” McGregor said of outsiders doubting their abilities. “Everyone was freaking out a little bit — we see it all over Twitter — but I definitely think that as a combined group, and individuals as well, I think our group is really strong this year.

“We don’t have a weak spot. We can rotate people in, and that’s what we talk about in practice all the time — man, we can rotate. We have six, seven, eight guys that can play and there’s really no drop off. We answered it with everybody. Everybody stepped up this offseason, really serious, got their bodies right and it’s translated.”

Braiden McGregor on Aidan Hutchinson’s mentorship

McGregor and Hutchinson had a strong relationship and were seen together often. The two were even mistaken for each other on occasion, which McGregor got a kick out of.

“All the time,” McGregor said. “I remember one game, I think was after Indiana, I was walking out of the stadium and I didn’t play, so I’m walking out trying to get back to the family tailgate and all that. I get stopped by this guy, and he’s like, ‘Hey, great game, man!’ And I’m like, ‘Thanks.’ 

“Aidan I both kinda hated it because we felt like we didn’t look alike. He’s like, ‘You have all the tattoos. I’m clean.’ Aidan’s dad always joked around like, ‘You’re dirty Aidan! You got the dirty skin.’ But yeah, I definitely got confused for him. I grew my hair out so it didn’t look like his as much and still got confused. But it’s a good comparison, you know?”

McGregor learned a lot from his former Michigan teammate.

“Honestly, a little bit of everything,” McGregor said of what he picked up from Hutchinson. “From the way that he fuels his body … I’d see him every day. Him and I sat next to each other in the meeting room and he’d have his little packets of electrolytes he’s pouring in before practice. During camp, how he was eating and going to bed super early.

“We were gonna be roommates for camp and he’s just telling me all this stuff. A little bit of everything. You look at him, how well he’s doing now, and there’s a reason everyone looked up to him last year. The way he carried himself off the field, and obviously on the field, you guys see what he does. But I definitely think the most I picked up from him is, how you practice is how you play in games.

“People struggle with it sometimes, because it’s like, OK, you’re here, you just had a long day of classes, you lifted in the morning. Now you gotta come for practice, and you’re just trying to get through it. 

“But I remember every single day, Aidan would go out there and you could tell he was serious. He was treating it like a game. I think him doing that has really transferred to us as a group this year.”