Few schools are as good at producing great edge rushers as Michigan, and the group should once again be solid heading into 2025. Here’s a look at the names and storylines from the edge rotation ahead of spring ball:
A great group of pass rushers is a staple on any good defense. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles , who just used their deep and versatile group of edge rushers to win the Super Bowl . In college football, Michigan has been one of the few schools that consistently puts great edge rushers into the NFL, with Aidan Hutchinson, Rashan Gary and Kwity Paye being a few that come to mind.
Josaiah Stewart being NFL bound leaves a sizable hole on Michigan’s defense. Fortunately, Michigan has plenty of talent to fill the void with T.J. Guy and Derrick Moore still in the fold. Not everything can be perfect, though, as a lack of depth and experience behind Guy and Moore could prove to be troublesome.
Today, we continue our series previewing Michigan’s spring roster by analyzing the edge rushers.
Players to Know
Returning players: T.J. Guy (RS SR), Derrick Moore (SR), Jaishawn Barham (SR)*, Cameron Brandt (JR), Dominic Nichols (SO)
Incoming transfers: None
Incoming freshmen: Julius Holly (Nate Marshall is not enrolling early)
*Jaishawn Barham could move from linebacker to the edge
What to Watch
Michigan has proven to be a factory for edge rushers in recent years. This comes from its combination of the Ravens-style 3-4 defense, and Michigan’s strength and conditioning program that has a penchant for producing elite athletes.
With Stewart gone, there’s now room for two players to step up and shine in 2025 — Guy and Moore. Moore was a highly-ranked four-star recruit and has taken on a slightly bigger role each year. He has generated 11 sacks and 65 tackles thus far in college. Guy is a bit of a different story, as he was a low-ranked three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He’s Michigan’s most recent developmental success story, breaking out with 5.5 sacks in 2024.
Behind them on the depth chart are two players full of potential, but lacking in experience — Brandt and Nichols. Brandt got his feet wet last year with three sacks in a limited role, so he should be even more productive in 2025. Nichols played sparingly last year as a true freshman, but the coaching staff has been high on him since his arrival at Michigan. A step forward for Nichols in the spring would be a big development for the depth of the group.
Where things get interesting is with Barham. He played linebacker last year and was a bit inconsistent at times. Fortunately, he could be a fit for Michigan at edge, as he has blazing speed at 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. He brings the kind of high-energy that’s desired for edge rushers and could take the group to the next level. Penn State had quite a bit of success in 2024 by making the same switch with Abdul Carter.
The Wolverines didn’t bring in anyone new via the transfer portal, but does have freshman Julius Holly on campus for spring ball. Holly is a bit small at 224 pounds, so it’ll be important for him to spend a lot of time in the weight room. Nevertheless, he’ll benefit from being on campus to get a jumpstart on his development, even if he does not play a significant role in 2025.