Opposing Coach On Braiden McGregor: 'Best Lineman We Saw All Season'
Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star defensive end Braiden McGregor helped lead his Husky squad to a 10-2 season last year that ended with a playoff loss to De La Salle Collegiate in early November.
Plenty of debate has surrounded McGregor ever since he committed to Michigan in late May, mostly regarding how highly he should be rated on the recruiting networks and whether or not he’ll be a defensive end or a linebacker at the next level.
Brad Nettles, who squared off against McGregor and Port Huron Northern last September as Cousino’s head coach, was kind enough to swing by and provide an unbiased opinion on what kind of player McGregor truly is.
“He played mostly in a defensive end/linebacker spot against us, and I think he’s the perfect fit for a defensive end coming off the edge,” Nettles said, whose Patriots squad fell to Port Huron Northern, 26-7, in mid-September.
“McGregor is so strong and was hard to run against as a result — almost impossible, in fact. When we tried to go away from him, he was able to bend down the line of scrimmage and still create havoc.
“He’s big, strong and incredibly quick for a guy his size, and is just a physical specimen.”
McGregor had been listed by Rivals.com as an outside linebacker up until its most recent rankings update, but is now being tabbed as a strongside defensive end.
Nettles was asked to share his opinion on which position he thinks will best suit the four-star prospect in college.
“Defensive end,” the former Cousino head man (he stepped down after the season) said. “The speed Michigan puts on the field will likely mean some guys will be faster than he is, but McGregor is still incredibly fast when considering how big he is.
“I think he’s 260 pounds or so right now, and he’ll probably get to 270 and be able to hold down that defensive end spot at a high level.
“He was able to dominate at our level and still has one more year to do so. McGregor is already strong based on what I’ve heard from other coaches and from his own coach — they’ve also said he’s an animal in the weight room, which only adds to what he brings on the football field.
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