Josaiah Stewart is looking forward to proving himself on college football’s biggest stage

Michigan football has an embarrassment of riches at along the edge. That’s not surprising when you look at the success former Wolverines have had in the NFL Draft recently. After everything we’ve heard from Jesse Minter so far this offseason, Michigan’s top-four edge rushers could compete for a starting role anywhere in the country.

One of those four is former Coastal Carolina edge rusher Josaiah Stewart. The former three-star prospect made a massive impact as a freshman for the Chanticleers. Coming off an 11-1 season with their only loss in the Cure Bowl, Stewart added to that program’s success. He set the program record for sacks in a season with 12.5, and his 15.5 tackles for loss were second most among all true freshmen in the country.

Stewart’s playing time increased, but his production decreased in 2022. Still, he hit the transfer portal as one of the most sought-after edge rushers available. The former highs school teammate of Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil found a new home with the Wolverines, but will his success in the Sun Belt translate to tougher opponents?

He believes it will. Especially since he’s practicing against some of the best offensive linemen in the country.

“They give us different looks every day going against Trente (Jones), Karsen (Barnhart) one day, then we have (LaDarius Henderson) and then we have Myles (Hinton). So they’re all different body types, all different snaps, passes, run blocking. So you had a different look every day,” Stewart said.

Stewart is looking forward to his first actual game action in the Big House (outside of the spring game) saying he, “won’t feel like a Wolverine until I actually get to play in that game.”

However, other teammates on the defensive front recognize his importance to this group’s championship goals.

“(Stewart is) special. Like every play, he’s after it. He’s always by the ball, no matter if you play dead or not. He’s always by the ball,” said defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny.

Even though Stewart’s been knocked for his lack of height, he believes his speed and technique make that a non-issue.

“I mean, you look at guys in the league and those guys aren’t super tall, but they use their length that they have and their size and their advantage,” Stewart said.

Stewart’s play will do the talking this weekend when the Wolverines host East Carolina, a roughly three-and-a-half-hour drive from his former school in Myrtle Beach.

Do you think he can reach the 12.5 sack mark he set as a freshman? How big of a role will he play this year for Michigan? Let us know in the comments.