Mike Morris discusses two Michigan edge rushers to watch, including one 'athletic freak'
Michigan Wolverines football EDGE Mike Morris, a 6-foot-6, 292-pounder, is looking to impress at the NFL Combine after a stellar final year in Ann Arbor. He was named the Big Ten’s lineman of the year, leading his team with 7.5 sacks and adding 23 tackles, 11 of which came behind the line of scrimmage.
Morris will be the next in a long line of Wolverine edge rushers to be drafted. He played behind some great ones, including Josh Uche (second round in 2020), Kwity Paye (first round in 2021), Aidan Hutchinson (first round in 2022) and David Ojabo (second round in 2022). Both Rashan Gary (first round in 2019) and Chase Winovich (third round in 2019) also highlight Michigan’s recent edge rushers who have been selected and remain in the NFL.
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Last year at this time, Hutchinson pointed to Morris as the next man up for Michigan. Morris was asked about who fans should watch for this coming season and was torn.
“Man, in the edge group, I have no idea, because there are so many great guys,” Morris said at the combine. “So many great guys going in. Some really good guys coming in that are really good, as well. Some freshmen that are really good, some juniors that are seniors that are going to step up.
“We Edge Rush U., so there’s going to be a person every single year coming up.”
Two rising seniors that Morris has his eye on are Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor.
“I’m really excited to see what they can do,” Morris said.
Harrell totaled 47 tackles, 7.5 stops for loss and 3.5 sacks last season. He’s versatile, with both the ability to rush the passer and drop in coverage — necessities for his SAM linebacker position — and ranked tied second on the squad with 25 pressures, per PFF.
McGregor, meanwhile, registered 16 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks in 2022. He emerged at the end of the season, when Morris was out with an injury, notably posting 1 tackle and 2 key pass breakups in a 45-23 Michigan win over Ohio State.
“Jaylen’s a SAM that can rush the passer on third down, and Braiden is an athletic freak, and I think both of them are going to do really, really well,” Morris said. “Jaylen stepped up when I was hurt in the Purdue game.
“Braiden had a lot of good snaps this year as well. He came in clutch in the Michigan State game with a sack. Both of them can do really good things.”
Each season after Michigan’s top edge rusher(s) depart for the NFL, there are questions about who will step up, but Morris is confident the Wolverines are in good hands.
‘Be prepared to work’ at Michigan
Just before the 2022 campaign, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh brought in EDGE Eyabi Okie, a UT Martin transfer with a past that included being dismissed from both Houston and Alabama. He contributed with 2.5 sacks last season. Morris was asked if bringing Okie in, given his past, tested Michigan’s culture and was a testament to it.
“We accept any and all people who want to be great and want to be Michigan Wolverines, so if you want to be a Michigan Wolverine, by all means, come,” Morris said. “But just expect that we’re gonna work.
“Coach Harbaugh preaches success. Those who stay will be champions. We really lived and breathed that these past two years, just to never have the season that we had in 2020.
“If people want to come, fine. But I would just [say], that model would be [center] Olu [Oluwatimi], just coming in and grinding and being a captain after just coming here. That model would definitely be after Olu. But yeah, you can come — just be prepared to work.”
