



Michigan landed arguably its top target for the 2020 cycle on Friday night as Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star defensive end Braiden McGregor announced in front of family and friends at his high school auditorium his commitment to the Wolverines.

The elite prospect had a top ten in no order consisting of Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon entering decision day. However, it seemed to be a major battle between the hometown Wolverines and the Fighting Irish for much of the way as Notre Dame pushed very hard for his services. Florida also seemed to be a darkhorse in this race following his recent official visit to Gainesville as well.

Michigan offered the in-state standout back in April of 2018 and has long been considered as a top target for the Maize and Blue. The Wolverine coaching staff have done a great job in the courtship of McGregor especially tights end coach Sherrone Moore and defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who have been leading the charge in his recruitment.

The Wolverines faced major competition all the way up till the very end on keeping him home and dealt with adversity in their pursuit like having his original primary recruiter Greg Mattison leave for Ohio State this offseason.

Despite that, he remained very fond of Michigan and recently talked about what stood out regarding the Wolverines leading up to his choice.

“I think just the feeling when I’m on campus (at Michigan),” McGregor told TMI’s Brice Marich following his lacrosse game a few weeks ago. “I feel like I’m really important. The relationships I’ve built with guys who are already there and going to be mentoring me if I came in freshman year and they would still be there, so that’s something big. Just the way the coaching staff is and how I believe they are on the come up. In their last class, they got two five-stars and like 13 four-stars, so they are right there and building something. That’s kind of a big thing with Michigan.”

McGregor now becomes the ninth overall verbal pledge for Michigan in the 2020 class and the first defensive lineman as well. He’s seen his stock soar over the months and sits as the country’s No. 27 overall prospect in the 2020 class, No. 3 strong-side defensive end in the nation and the top player in the state of Michigan, according to 247Sports rankings.

With 6-foot-5, 250-pound McGregor now in the fold, Michigan is getting one of the nation’s top players regardless of position. He showcased his elite and versatile skill-set this past reason playing multiple spots for the Huskies recording 99 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, eight quarterback sacks, two blocked punts, two interceptions and two forced fumbles as a junior.

247Sports’ Midwest recruiting analyst Allen Trieu loves his game and what he can bring to the next level.

“Has a prototypcial frame for the position. Tall, longer arms, well-muscled, but still with room to grow in college. Is a very good athlete who can run, redirect, and chase plays down in pursuit. Has good closing speed. Pass-catching skills on offense speak to his athleticism and ability in space. Plays with great motor. Still working on technique. Once he adds more violent hands and some go-to pass rush moves to his arsenal he will be tough to stop. Growth may determine if he ends up as a five-technique or if he plays on the weak-side because he is athletic enough to be the latter. At either spot, he projects as a major impact guy in college.”

Stay tuned to The Michigan Insider for much more coverage on Braiden McGregor’s commitment to the Wolverines.

