Braiden

McGregor

McGregor (6’5/257) improved each year throughout his time at Michigan. From not seeing the field at all his Freshman season, a measly 62 snaps the next, to starting three games in 2022, and finally starting all 15 games in 2023. The All-Big Ten honorable mention had 9.0 TFL, 4.5 sacks, and a forced fumble during his final Honorable Mention All-Big Ten campaign. He has a long, lanky frame that needs to be filled out in order to help him play with a better anchor. Despite being a little over 6’5”, McGregor has a decent arm length at 33 ¼ inches. A skinny frame and moderate arm length aren’t often the ingredients for an effective run-stopper in the league. As a pass rusher, McGregor does a good job knocking away punches, which he then uses as an opportunity to take the edge. Despite underwhelming sack numbers, he earned a commendable 75.1 PFF defensive grade. If McGregor can put weight on his frame and add to his sparse bag of pass-rush moves, he can be a rotational three-down edge at the next level.

In his analysis of the four-star Michigan commit, Farrell wrote the following: “McGregor looks like a million bucks, but he was very easy to block and way too upright in one-on-ones. He has a lot of technique to work on.” While the report wasn’t the most flattering, the entire camp can be a positive experience for a player of McGregor’s (6'6/250) caliber. Going up against other talented prospects can not only expose flaws but also provide valuable lessons on what they need to improve before moving up to the college ranks. Overall the Rivals 100 camp wasn’t the best for defensive prospects, with Farrell writing that on the whole the offensive players outperformed their counterparts on the other side of the football.

McGregor made his choice on Friday; picking the Wolverines over schools like Notre Dame, Florida and several other well-known institutions. He ranks fifth at the position among strong-side defensive ends, and the Port Huron native is ranked first among all prospects in the state of Michigan. Jim Harbaugh now has nine commits for the 2020 group, and five of those are four-star or better according to 247 Sports rankings.

McGregor (6'5/248) is considered by 247Sports to be one of the top strong-side defensive ends in the Class of 2020, with the recruiting outlet having him ranked fifth in the class. As for where he’ll make his pledge, Michigan and Notre Dame are considered to be the top options for the Port Huron, Michigan native, and he also recently took an official visit to Florida. McGregor has only taken official visits to Notre Dame and Florida to this point in his recruitment.

Helmholdt’s gut call is based around the rumors and innuendo that he has heard when it comes to the 6-foot-6, 250-pound McGregor. There are still a few balls up in the air, though, with the Port Huron, Michigan, native set to head out on an official visit to Florida on May 17. Michigan is also very much a player for McGregor’s pledge. Rivals ranks him as the No. 27 outside linebacker in the 2020 class.