Braiden McGregor, Jaylen Harrell discuss challenges Alabama presents, upcoming NFL decisions

PASADENA, Calif. — Michigan Wolverines football starting edge rushers Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor will be huge keys in the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal against Alabama’s dynamic quarterback and massive offensive tackles.

Alabama redshirt sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe has accumulated 693 rushing yards, not including sacks, making stopping him a tough task. He’s also a tremendous deep-ball thrower with 34 completions of 20-plus air yards on the season.

“You still have to play aggressive, but obviously you can’t just go inside whenever you want,” Harrell said of the discipline required for Michigan to face Milroe. “Just knowing the game plan, executing and working together — those are the biggest things this game.

“It’s going to be 11-on-1, and it’s going to take everyone on defense. The D-tackles and ends are going to have to work together, so it’s going to be a great defensive game plan and we have to execute at the highest level.”

Both of Alabama’s starting tackles — freshman Kadyn Proctor (left) and junior JC Latham — are listed at 360 pounds. They’ll be the heaviest Michigan has played this season, also making for a unique challenge.

“Last year, we played Dawand Jones [6-8, 375] from Ohio State,” McGregor noted. “He was big. We kinda learned last year from him, just going against a bigger tackle, just ways to get around him and stuff like that. So, I think just you have to be able to play long.”

Harrell said the most improved area of his game has been his ability to get to the passer. He has 7.5 sacks to lead the Wolverines.

“I feel like my pass rush has been more refined,” the 6-4, 242-pounder said. “Haven’t been thinking at all; just going out there, playing freely, having fun with my boys and just going out there and making plays.”

Harrell has been one of Michigan’s tone-setters — coming up with big plays when they’re needed.

“I just got this little feeling in me, like, I know something’s gotta happen,” he said. “I know I gotta go get it. I just got a little knack for wanting to get the play. Whenever we need something or we need a spark, I know I gotta dig deep and go get it done for my team.”

To get to the quarterback with pressures and sacks, Michigan will have to stop the run. Harrell and McGregor have been great in that area this season. The latter has a 10.9 run-play stop rate, per PFF, which ranks second among Big Ten edge rushers. McGregor believes that area of the game is underrated for his position.

“I saw something the other day where [Cincinnati Bengals quarterback] Joe Burrow talked about how sacks are overrated and all that stuff,” the Michigan EDGE said. “I’m like, yeah, but the way you get to sacks is you stop them on first- and second-down runs.

“So, that’s something I really pride myself on, is getting myself — whether I’m playing 3-tech, 4, 4i, being able to play all of those and get down and dirty and play against a guy that’s over 100 pounds heavier than me and be able to stop the run. That’s something I pride myself on.”

Both Harrell and McGregor have one more year of eligibility and decisions to make on their futures, but both are living in the moment.

“Honestly, I haven’t [thought much about it],” McGregor said. “I’m just been trying to live in the moment. At the end of the day, I can’t make a bad decision. But the main thing for me is I really want the natty. We came here two years in a row — this is the third year — and it’s like, man, let’s see how these next two games go and make a decision from there.”

He noted there’s a chance he comes back, despite the latest intel according to our Chris Balas being that he’s learning toward heading to the NFL.

“I kinda try to stay in the moment,” Harrell said in a similar vein. “Like Coach says, keep that one track mind and not worry about the future. I’m just taking it one game at a time and preparing for the biggest game of my life.”

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