Michigan football begins its season next Saturday, Sept. 3 against Colorado State for the home opener.
The Wolverines are hoping for a repeat of the magical 2021 season. The maize and blue not only defeated their arch-rival Ohio State 42-27 last year, but Michigan also reigned supreme over the Big Ten after it beat Iowa in the Big Ten Title game. The Wolverines made their first College Football Playoff appearance but faltered against the eventual champion, Georgia.
While Michigan is ranked No. 6 in the Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the AP Poll, the Wolverines aren’t a popular pick to repeat as Big Ten champions. According to the national media, Ohio State is going to take back over the Big Ten and it could even make noise in the CFP if projections ring true.
A big reason why Michigan isn’t being picked to repeat in 2022 is due to it losing Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Josh Ross, Dax Hill, and Brad Hawkins on the defensive side of the ball. But like every year — look back at Ojabo last season — players come out of thin air to become huge playmakers.
A few weeks ago I wrote about three players on the offensive side of the ball that would have a breakout season.
Now I’m going to pick three players on the defensive side of the ball that are poised to have a breakout 2022 campaign.
List
Eight Michigan football 2022 predictions we’re certain of
Braiden McGregor
Photo: Isaiah Hole
The former four-star Port Huron Northern (Michigan) star has been biding his time for two seasons. Now as a junior, it’s McGregor’s time to shine on the new-look Michigan defense.
McGregor is listed as 6-foot-6 and 261-pounds and he sure looks the part of being the next feared Wolverine on the defensive line. Not to say that he will have the same production as Chase Winovich, Ojabo, or Hutchinson this season, but I really think that McGregor is going to have a prominent role this season. In high school, he set the school record with 227 tackles for his career, so we know he can wrap up the ball carrier at a high level.
He did not see any game action in 2020, and in 2021, McGregor recorded five total tackles while he appeared in nine games on defense and special teams.
It seems that Michigan will start out the year with Taylor Upshaw and Mike Morris getting the first grabs at edge. But expect the likes of Jaylen Harrell, McGregor, and Eyabi Anoma — the new grad transfer — to all see significant playing time. The question will be, who takes advantage?
My vote is…