Michigan offers Coastal Carolina transfer portal edge Josaiah Stewart

Dec 7, 2022 - 2:45 AM

Announced on his Twitter account Tuesday evening, the Michigan Wolverines have sent out an offer to Josaiah Stewart, a former Coastal Carolina edge who entered the transfer portal the same day Michigan offered him.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder hails from New York, but played high school football in Massachusetts at Everett High School, the former high school of Mike Sainristil. The Wolverines offered Stewart back when he was a three-star recruit coming out of high school in the 2021 class. Don Brown was hot on his tail back then, but Michigan eventually cooled on him for other prospects.

As a true freshman last season, Stewart played in all 13 games for the Chanticleers. In those 13 games, he racked up 43 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks (a Coastal Carolina school record) and three forced fumbles. One of his best efforts came against a Power 5 school — Kansas — in which he had eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Thanks to his efforts as a first-year player, he was named a True Freshman All-American by the FWAA, The Athletic, ESPN and 247Sports. He was also named to the All Sun Belt First Team, and to the All True Freshman team by PFF.

This past season in 12 games, Stewart compiled 36 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one pass deflection and one forced fumble.

Stewart is listed as a “bandit” on his profile on the Coastal Carolina website, which is essentially a hybrid linebacker who rushes the passer more often than not. Think of Josh Uche or David Ojabo for Stewart’s possible usage in Michigan’s defense.

This is a solid offer by Mike Elston, Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines. Mike Morris could possibly leave for the NFL after this season, and while guys like Taylor Upshaw and Julius Welschof still technically have a year of eligibility left due to COVID, there’s no guarantee they will be back.

So far, Michigan is the only school to offer Stewart. It likely won’t be the last offer he gets. Stay tuned for more news on this recruitment and many more in the portal.