Wolverine TV: Drake Nugent, Josaiah Stewart talk expectations ahead of Michigan season-opener
Michigan Wolverines football graduate center Drake Nugent and junior EDGE Josaiah Stewart met with the media Tuesday evening after practice. Watch video of Nugent in the player above and Stewart in the embed below.
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Michigan will be without head coach Jim Harbaugh in the season-opener, with the head man set to serve a three game suspension. Offensive coordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore, too, will be out with a one game suspension. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will serve as interim head coach for the game, but things have been similar in practice all week.
“It’s felt like normal practice, I’d say. Nothing really big has changed, honestly. Everyone has the same focus. It’s like nothing’s happened, honestly. It’s been good,” Nugent said.
Nugent was asked about his relationship with Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy and how it’s grown since transferring in from Stanford this past winter.
“It’s been good, I’d say,” he replied. “Obviously, it’s tough being the new guy anywhere, but I’ve basically had the whole year now. And it’s not just with J.J. It’s with all the offensive guys. We’ve jelled well, especially the other offensive linemen. We’ve hung out outside the building, which has been great. It’s been fun.”
Nugent has been described by his Michigan teammates as an “angry pit bull” because of his extreme work ethic in the weight room and at practice. He doesn’t know where the competitive fire comes from.
“I guess it’s just how I’ve always worked out,” Nugent said. “If I had to put a pin point on it, probably just middle school or high school workouts, just getting after it with my high school guys and just carrying it over, honestly. I wouldn’t really say — I couldn’t pinpoint any one thing other than that. It’s just how I’ve always been.”
Stewart talked about the competition on the Michigan defense at EDGE and how his skill set matches up with the others vying for time. The Wolverines could rotate quite a bit up front this season, and Stewart, who has 16 career sacks after transferring in from Coastal Carolina. Included in the video, junior defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny also shared what he’s seen from Stewart, identifying “hustle” as a top quality.
