Tag: Josaiah Stewart

Chiefs scouting report: Michigan Wolverines OLB Josaiah Stewart

The Kansas City #Chiefs could target Michigan #Wolverines outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs need a pass rush specialist capable of complementing Chris Jones’ All-Pro production. General manager Brett Veach’s options in the 2025 NFL draft are plentiful, but one of Michigan’s star defenders stands out as a good candidate.

Josaiah Stewart is an undersized rusher who won’t meet many of the NFL’s thresholds. He’s a total outlier, which could make him available for Kansas City in the third or fourth round. Despite his physical limitations, Stewart is one of college football’s most dominant pass rushers.

Stewart explodes off the line with rare acceleration and burst that put offensive tackles at a disadvantage. He changes directions quickly to attack the B-gap or soften the tackle’s outside shoulder. His pass rush plan includes cross-chops, rips, swims, two-handed swipes, and converting speed to power.

Stewart possesses the power to pry open the B-gap and the bend to flatten his rush angle around the edge. His relentless pursuit and impressive open-field speed give quarterbacks nightmares.

Stewart’s motor and surprising play strength make him a surprisingly effective run defender. He’s a menace hunting down ball carriers as a backside defender and sets a firm edge on the front side of runs. Stewart uses a long-arm to stack blockers who outweigh him by more than 70 lbs. and quickly separates to pursue the ball.

Michigan goes on the road to face 10-1 Ohio State at 11 a.m. CST on Saturday. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings.

Michigan football front focused on stopping the run vs. Ohio State

It’s gonna be a little more challenging this year. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Almost always in The Game, the team that runs for more yards wins. That’s been the case going back to 2001, with the 2000 game being the last time that the victor between Michigan and Ohio State was decided by the team that had not won the rushing battle.

The Wolverines pride themselves on running the ball but the Buckeyes have been more consistent with it in 2024. However, the two teams are neck and neck defensively when it comes to stopping the run, with OSU coming in ranked No. 3 in rushing yards allowed per game while Michigan is No. 4. So for the maize and blue defense, though Ryan Day has tended to want to pass the ball downfield, the name of The Game on Saturday is to stop the run.

“That’s been our motto the whole year, especially as a defense,” senior edge rusher Josaiah Stewart said. “We like to keep teams one-dimensional. Once we stop their run, they can’t get into a flow as an offense and give their players the ball in space — play-action, boots, and things like that. But once we stop that run, we know what to expect.”

“That’s how you get to the passing downs,” junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant said. “We always say stop the run first so we could rush the passer on passing downs. So, whatever we do is always stop to run first.”

Ohio State will have some limitations up front, but it hasn’t let it be a crutch. Two starting offensive linemen are out for the season and injuries have consistently piled up. And, according to PFF, Michigan boasts the best run defense (No. 3) as well as pass rush (No. 1) that the Buckeyes will have seen all season.

Still, Grant knows that they’ll bring their best on Saturday, Michigan just has to be ready.

“Oh, they’re a good unit, work together,” Grant said. “There’s no drop off for me, it’s Ohio State. So they’re always going to come (hard). So, I mean, just got to take it to their face.”

As far as the backs are concerned, Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins (who leads OSU with 759 yards on 135 carries) is the more consistent back, while stalwart TreVeyon Henderson — who has struggled against Michigan in his career — is the big-play threat with 730 yards on 98 carries.

Stewart broke down what he’s seen from each on film and what challenges they present.

“No. 1 (Judkins) — a lot more elusive, I feel like,” Stewart said. “We played against 32 (Henderson) last year. Same back, powerful, more inside the tackles. He’s not afraid to block. But No. 1, a lot more in space, make moves.”

OSU’s season low as 64 yards on 31 carries against Nebraska earlier in the year, while its run defense held Western Michigan to 28 yards. Michigan was held to just 69 yards against Indiana but the defense held Fresno State in Week 1 to nine yards rushing and held Northwestern to just 10 yards this past week.

Michigan and Ohio State will kick off in Columbus at noon EST with the game nationally broadcast on Fox.

Oregon vs. Michigan in-person scouting summary

2025 NFL Draft prospects from Oregon vs. Michigan in-person scouting summary

Oregon traveled to Michigan to face the Wolverines as a member of the Big Ten for the first time. The top-ranked Ducks proved worthy of the lofty ranking, sending the partisan crowd to the exits early in a 38-17 road win.

I was among those in the stands at the Big House, though I stayed until the end of this one. Unlike most games where I’m holed up in the press box, I watched this one from the fan section, behind the Oregon sideline on a sunny late afternoon that quickly faded into a chilly final evening of Daylight Saving Time.

Here’s what I took away from some of the 2025 NFL Draft prospects in the game.

Derrick Harmon

Harmon stood out from the very first Oregon defensive snap. The Ducks DT artfully dodged a (poorly executed) block and crashed into the backfield for an emphatic TFL. It was the first of several impressively disruptive plays the Michigan State transfer made on the day.

Harmon’s ability to strafe laterally and stay disengaged from blocking was devastating to the Michigan run offense. Harmon has quick eyes and quicker feet for his size, but he also flashed some real power and finishing acumen. His ability to find consistent success while lining up on either shoulder of the guards showed some positional versatility along the defensive interior that sure looks like it will translate to the next level quite well.

It was also impressive to watch him on the sidelines. Even though he’s new to the program, Harmon was quite enthusiastic in exhorting his Ducks teammates to not let up once the game started to get out of hand in their favor in the second half.

Mason Graham

Graham had a quiet day as a pass rusher, but at least some of that is attributable to how quickly Oregon throws the ball. The interior defensive line doesn’t have enough time to really impact all the quick swings and screens, and that was true of Graham in this game. He did, however, show some very nice stack-and-steer work at DT on inside runs.

The ability to get off a block with his powerful shoulders and then contribute to the tackle proved why he’s a legit NFL talent, though this was the second Michigan game I’ve been to this year (USC the other) where I was underwhelmed with his initial burst; he can do power or quick, but they don’t marry as well as other recent top DT prospects–or like Harmon on the Oregon side of the ball showed in this game.

Evan Stewart

Stewart’s best play of the game didn’t even count. The Oregon wideout made a spectacular one-handed stab in the end zone at full vertical extension and managed to contort himself so that he landed with one foot down for a would-be touchdown. Alas, it was wiped out by a penalty on Oregon. It was every bit as awesome as the Odell Beckham Jr. snag a few years back.

Even though that one didn’t count, seeing how dynamic Stewart was able to slice and dice the Michigan secondary over the middle and up the seams was impressive. He’s got a very good pacing to his route-running, and Stewart proved he’s got great hands, too. The Texas A&M transfer got a few looks in the slot, and that’s where I think his NFL future lies–even though he’s got the field-stretching speed on the outside. He played with more physicality than I expected for a 175-pound receiver, though it wasn’t always effective physicality.

Colston Loveland

Loveland was the best Michigan player on the field and basically the only effective offensive player for nearly the entire game. The polish on his receiving traits–routes, releases, hands, strength in traffic, transition from receiver to runner–was fantastic in this one. Oregon’s defense knew he was getting the ball and they still couldn’t stop him.

This game reaffirmed that Loveland is not an NFL-caliber inline blocker and it will take considerable work to get him to be even a passable blocking presence. But for teams looking for a multi-level receiving threat at tight end, Loveland proved in this one he’s best-in-class. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder even showed ability aligning as the wide receiver in this one. Very impressive game from Loveland.

Dillon Gabriel

The well-traveled Ducks quarterback stood out for three primary things:

  • He’s visibly smaller in person; both the 6-0 and especially the 200 pounds he’s listed at seem quite generous.
  • The lefty has a lightning-quick release and the ball comes out with impressive exit velocity,
  • Gabriel is very good at mistake avoidance, making the best decision with the ball almost every time.

Gabriel has decent pocket mobility and proved on his touchdown scamper he can chew up yards quickly with his legs, too. His downfield arm strength was visibly lacking, however; he had two deeper throws that hung up in the air too long. Even in the warmups on the sideline, it was clear the zip doesn’t last long on his throws.

Kalel Mullings

Michigan’s sledgehammer of a running back had a very rough afternoon against the quickness of Oregon’s defense. Mullings lacks great vision and there is almost no lateral agility to his game. He’s still learning how to play running back, so there is upside for a 233-pound rolling sack of hammers, but he’s still quite green at the nuances of playing running back. Oregon was very effective at not letting him get north-south right away and negating his power. The first Duck to hit him got him down almost every time.

Will Johnson

The standout Michigan cornerback did not play. He’s still recovering from a foot injury suffered early in Michigan’s loss to Illinois on October 19th. Johnson has also missed time in 2024 with a shoulder injury suffered in the Wolverines’ win over USC.

 

 

Josaiah Stewart recalls forcing Aidan Chiles’ fumble in key play vs. MSU

It was maybe the key play of the game. #GoBlue

Michigan needed a win against rival Michigan State in the worst way. It’s not just that a loss would have pushed the Wolverines to 4-4 rather than 5-3, but the team needed to get its confidence back after losing two straight games that were seen as wins in the offseason.

But that’s how fans and the media talk about it. As far as the players, like edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, were concerned, the win was just righting the ship.

“I feel everything was the same,” Stewart said. “Obviously, winning feels good always, especially after coming off two losses. And the vibe — it’s been a long time since we won a game. But, I mean, our mindset’s always the same every week,”

Stewart had one of the more pivotal plays in the game. With under two minutes remaining in the first half and with Michigan having just scored a touchdown to cut the deficit from 0-7 to 6-7, MSU had gotten the ball back with the intent to push the lead before the second half — especially since Michigan would start out with the ball.

The senior edge rusher managed to get to MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles, forcing a fumble which was then recovered by Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. The play happened so quickly that Stewart didn’t even realize what was going on in the immediate aftermath.

“It kind of went by kind of fast,” Stewart said. “I mean, the strip sack happened, and then next thing you know, there’s three points on the board. I was kind of like, too busy celebrating with my teammates. Next thing I know, we’re walking in the locker room up 9-7. But I mean, it’s huge. Those plays like that, they change games.”

But what happened on that play? Was there something Stewart had seen on tape that led to him being able to punch the ball out? No, it was more that Chiles, who likes to scramble and keep plays alive with his legs, had been running around in the backfield for some time, and Stewart felt he had to get him on the ground before he extended the drive.

The next thing he knew, he made the play.

“Honestly, like I was kind of chasing him too long,” Stewart said. “I feel like one more second he was gonna get rid of it. So I kind of just dove and sold out. And he had both hands on the ball, so I kind of knew where to aim for my hands. And just glad the ball came out.”

Sherrone Moore updates Michigan football growing injury list before Washington

Well, this is positive news. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It didn’t take long, but Michigan football went from being an extremely healthy team to one that’s extremely banged up.

The Wolverines were pretty much at full strength against USC in Week 4, but entering and leaving Week 5 against Minnesota was a different story entirely.

Will Johnson and Josaiah Stewart were injured against the Trojans. Myles Hinton, the starting left tackle, was injured this past weekend against the Gophers. Head coach Sherrone Moore was confident, however, that they, along with wide receiver Semaj Morgan, will all be back this week for the trip to Seattle to face Washington.

“Yeah, they’re all working through something,” Moore said. “Myles (is) working through something, came out of the game, probably could have went back in, but held them out. And Josaiah and Will look like they’ll be in good shape for this week.”

Another player who left last week’s game against Minnesota was safety Makari Paige. Given that Rod Moore, Wesley Walker, and Jaden Mangham were all unavailable, that meant that the Wolverines were really starting to dig into the bench at the safety position. Though second-year safety Brandyn Hillman came in and played well with Paige out, behind him, there’s little that’s good to go on at the position.

However, Moore expects that Paige will be fine to make the trip to Seattle and play against the Huskies.

“He’ll be good,” Moore said. “I think he’s just working through something, and he’ll be in good shape to go.”

Moore did clarify on some of the others who haven’t played. He says that cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows may be a little more long-term but Walker should be back soon and that Mangham isn’t injured, he’s dealing with something off the field.

“McBurrows will be out,” Moore said. “Mangham, he’s working through something off the field. He could possibly come back. (Walker is) working through something, but he’s not long-term, no.”

Michigan and Washington are set to kick off at Husky Stadium at 4:30 p.m. PDT with the game nationally broadcast on NBC.

3 scouting standouts from CFB Week 4 to know

Breaking down three 2025 NFL Draft prospects who played very well in CFB Week 4 and helped boost their scouting profiles

The college football weekend was more low-key than expected, with several top programs taking the week off and others cruising in noncompetitive matchups. But as is always the case, the draft eyes never sleep.

Here are three guys who boosted their 2025 NFL Draft status with impressive outings over the CFB Week 4 weekend.

Josaiah Stewart, EDGE Michigan

I was fortunate enough to be inside the Big House to see Stewart’s tour de force performance in Michigan’s win over USC. In a game with several impressive defensive efforts, Stewart definitely deserves special recognition.

Stewart abused the Trojans offensive line with a bevy of power-to-speed moves, showing excellent burst off the block and quick feet to close ground on USC QB Miller Moss in a hurry. I was surprised postgame to find the 240-pound stand-up rusher only got credited with four QB hits; it felt like Stewart was in the backfield on every pass play.

He uses his shoulders and strong hands very adeptly, showing improvement week by week. The body control Stewart showed in not overshooting the point of attack despite screaming around the edge was definitely impressive.

The Senior Bowl also took notice of Stewart:

 

Terrence Spence, CB, James Madison

James Madison hung 70 on North Carolina in one of the weirdest games of the college season. The Dukes offense was a hot knife through Tar Heel butter all night, but a JMU defensive player stood out the most in terms of elevating a draft profile: CB Terrence Spence.

Spence, a transfer from FCS-level Holy Cross, was only on the prior radar due to his uncanny knack for blocking kicks (he has 6 in his career) on special teams. The 6-foot-1 corner added another blocked punt in this one, which was ultimately returned for a touchdown. Spence also got on the scoreboard himself by returning one of his two INTs on the night for a touchdown.

https://twitter.com/Pavel6813/status/1837568878525685824

Spence had his moments on Holy Cross film (which I watched for WR Jalen Coker in the 2024 draft), but he had some tackling and grabbing issues. The fantastic night against North Carolina was very clean in those regards, aside from the big plays Spence pulled off. With his special teams prodigiousness, that could be a tiebreaker for a late-round flyer or UDFA invite for some NFL teams.

Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State

Jackson made his 2024 debut for the Buckeyes against Marshall after missing the first three games with an undisclosed injury. The big left guard looked better than ever in Ohio State’s 49-14 win.

Jackson is well-known in draft circles for his power and extremely long arms. In watching the tape, Jackson appears to have dialed in his punch placement from his All-Big Ten status from the last two seasons. His ability to create jolting power off the snap was already appealing, but now it looks even better. Marshall didn’t take a single rep from Jackson all game.

If he can continue to play anywhere close to the level he showed against the Thundering Herd, Jackson should be a top-40 overall pick based on talent and upside. He answered any questions about a possible injury-related regression or rust to his game.

Texas-Michigan scouting preview: Big matchups to watch for the 2025 NFL Draft

Texas and Michigan each have many good 2025 NFL Draft prospects, and several will be facing off against one another in Saturday’s big matchup

One of the most anticipated college football matchups of the season will kick off on Saturday afternoon when the Texas Longhorns make their first-ever visit to the state of Michigan to play the host Wolverines in Ann Arbor. All 32 NFL teams are expected to be in attendance to watch the second-ever meeting between the two powerhouse programs, the only prior one coming in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

This one is a scouting bonanza, with several prominent 2025 NFL Draft prospects set to take the field against one another. Texas has 16 players featured on the preseason Senior Bowl watchlist. Michigan touts 14 on the same list.

Some of those top prospects will face off against one another on Saturday. Here’s some of the key draft scouting matchups to watch when Michigan and Texas get it on.

Isaiah Bond vs. Will Johnson

Two potential first-rounders square off on the outside with Bond, an Alabama transfer, coming off an impressive Texas debut. He caught five passes in the Longhorns’ romp over Colorado State, smartly working the middle of the field and showing off nice short-area quickness on the outside. Bond had no trouble getting open last week, though he did have one drop.

Johnson might be the best coverage corner in the country. His size, physicality and ball skills are all elite. Interestingly, Fresno State went at him a little and found some success early on comeback routes. Johnson made them pay with a game-sealing pick-six that showed his anticipation and closing burst, traits that have Johnson almost universally regarded as a top-15 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Bond’s quickness and spritely physicality for a smaller wideout make him a compelling challenge for Johnson.

Quinn Ewers vs. Rod Moore and Makari Page

Ewers is the man throwing the ball to Bond, and he looked very good in the opener. Going into the season, I had concerns about Ewers’ handling pressure and willingness to let it fly with his rifle of a right arm. He didn’t face much pressure, but against the Rams, I thought Ewers saw the field well and showed some chutzpah in staying with his best read.

Moore and Page are a seasoned safety tandem that comfortably works together. Moore is a potential Day 2 pick who considered declaring for the 2024 draft. Page is more of a Day 3 prospect but one with versatility, capable of playing deep coverage or lining up as a slot corner. They’re both smart and sleek in coverage, presenting a difficult test for Ewers as a pocket passer.

Ewers can also run a little, and that puts an onus on the Wolverines safeties to not abandon their responsibilities there, too. The Michigan interior DL tandem of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, both likely first-round picks in 2025, figure to flush Ewers out of the pocket. Ewers will tuck and run, but he does have the arm strength to unleash a deep throw outside the pocket too.

Kelvin Banks vs. Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore

Banks pitched a shutout at left tackle in Texas’ win over Colorado State, but Michigan brings two potential ’25 draftees to the pass rush party. Josaiah Stweart bagged two sacks in Michigan’s win over Fresno State, while Derrick Moore tallied five official QB pressures from PFF’s metrics.

Both Moore and Stewart move around the formation. That means Banks will face different styles and speeds of pass rushers in the game game, a great test for the potential first-rounder. For Moore, it’s an opportunity to show his game is growing by facing off against an accomplished blocker like Banks. Stewart, the better-regarded of the Wolverines prospects, needs to show he can handle Banks’ considerable size in the run game.

It figures to be a great atmosphere and scouting matchup for fans of any team to watch at noon on Saturday.

 

Where Josaiah Stewart improved the most this offseason

Dude is gonna ball out in 2024. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Though not a household name nationally, when a play needed to be made on the biggest stage in the biggest moment, Michigan football edge rusher Josaiah Stewart delivered.

In perhaps the biggest play of the entire 2023 season for any team, the Wolverines were facing Alabama on a fourth-and-goal situation in overtime in the Rose Bowl. Stewart — a reserve for the maize and blue a year ago — pancaked star Crimson Tide right guard JC Latham, clogging up the lane for quarterback Jalen Milroe, allowing for the assist at bringing him down by his edge rushing compatriot Derrick Moore.

Now Stewart is set to start for Michigan for the first time after he had that honor at Coastal Carolina (his original team before transferring). And despite being impressive both with the Chanticleers and Wolverines, there have been a lot of things that he’s worked on improving this offseason.

“Mainly pass rush and getting my eyes right in coverage, things like that — getting settled down,” Stewart said. “I feel like coverage is one of the things I really needed to focus on (this offseason). So coverage, really, my eyes in pass rush, and getting to my sets, and having my plant.”

One way that Stewart should see a significant benefit comes by virtue of those who will be lined up next to him.

With Derrick Moore on the other side, both should see huge gains simply by being lined up next to the best defensive tackle duo in college football in Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. Stewart says that it isn’t just about other teams having to defend the duo in the middle that helps his game. It’s also about watching their work ethic as well as all of them working together as a team and one functional unit on a per-play basis.

“A lot in many ways,” Stewart said. “One being just competing with those guys inside and chasing the running back, chasing the quarterback, getting after it. And also, they make your jobs easier, and vice versa, just playing as a team and as a unit. They have our back we have theirs.”

Fans will get an opportunity to see the fearsome foursome on Saturday when the Wolverines host Fresno State for the 2024 season opener at The Big House.

Michigan football EDGE Josaiah Stewart on Alex Orji: ‘He can throw’

Uh oh, Happy learned to putt! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In most of the offseason discourse surrounding Michigan football’s quarterback competition in spring ball, when it comes to presumed favorite Alex Orji, he’s spoken about in terms of his escapability and running ability — but not his arm.

It makes sense. Orji didn’t complete any passes in 2023, yet was used primarily as a wildcat option in his many appearances. The most recent pass we’ve seen Orji complete was a deep shot to Semaj Morgan in last year’s spring game, but nothing since.

But edge rusher Josaiah Stewart is here to tell you: don’t doubt his arm.

On Tuesday, Stewart discussed spring ball at-large, but when WolverinesWire asked about Orji in particular, he set the record straight: he’s more than just a running back out there.

“Orji, obviously, he has great legs, he can escape the pocket. But believe it or not, he can throw,” Stewart said. “People who might not believe that — social media and whatnot saying that he can’t throw. But he can throw and I’ve seen him throw dot down the field. And it’s worse when you just, just almost get there and he gets the ball off and it’s a touchdown.

“So he’s good at doing that. He’s good at escaping and getting the ball downfield.”

In spring ball, Orji does have stiff competition, facing off against Jayden Denegal, Davis Warren, and highly-touted freshman Jadyn Davis. Jack Tuttle, who returns for a seventh year, has been limited due to injury.

At the moment, there’s no clear winner and it doesn’t appear to be one coming soon. But Orji appears to have the inside track due to his skill set, and if he is accurate downfield, certainly, that poses a threat to opposing defenses given his running ability.

Josaiah Stewart makes NFL draft decision

HUGE! #GoBlue

On Sunday, it felt like every Michigan football player who could depart via the NFL draft did, but not every player made their announcement as to their plans. With Champions Circle touting the ‘Those Who Stay’ fund, someone had to, well, stay, right?

Monday morning brought good news to the maize and blue as the defense got a little jolt. While Kris Jenkins and Jaylen Harrell moved onto the NFL, edge rusher Josaiah Stewart announced that he will be returning for his senior year, meaning there’s a full, returning contingent along the defensive line with the sophomore trio set to come back as juniors.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2Hzu5fgSrU/?igsh=YmxrcnN2Y3djaGc3

With Stewart’s return, he’ll partner with Derrick Moore, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Rayshaun Benny to continue dominance up front.

Stewart arrived in Ann Arbor last season after standing out for two years at Coastal Carolina.