Josaiah Stewart, defensive end for the Michigan Wolverines, is a unique player. Unlike other athletes, his football journey didn’t follow a linear growth path. It all started in Everett High School. However, in his freshman year, the coaches were not sure whether Stewart was any good at football. Forget starting as an edge rusher!

However, with a million doubters around, you only need one person to believe in you to showcase your talent. John Capra, Everett’s defensive line coach, was that person for Stewart. Together, they worked and improved Josaiah Stewart’s game bit by bit. Stewart spent extra time in the weight room to transform his physique as per the position he wanted to play.

With effort came attention. People started noticing Stewart. In a conversation with The Michigan Daily, Capra said, “He (Stewart) got better and better every year, and he became so quick off the ball that (opponents) were just having so much trouble with him” he added, “Every coach that I talked to after (games) said, ‘Who is that kid?’’ 

As soon as people started noticing Stewart, he instantly started making waves both on the field and in the world of gaming. With the start of the new NCCA season, fans and gamers are eager to know how their favorite players are performing on the EA Sports College Football 25 as well. Talking about Stewart, his impact on the field has been undeniable. The former Everett player has an overall 87 rating in EA 25. This is quite impressive; many popular players in college football have not reached this score yet. He is the top scorer among the Michigan Wolverines’ defensive end players.

Josaiah Stewart’s college career

Josaiah Stewart started his college football journey in 2021. His high school record helped him make an early impact in a game against Georgia Southern. He set the program record with four sacks in that single game. As a freshman, he competed the season with 43 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks with 3 forced fumbles. In 2022, he made 36 tackles, out of which 10 were for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. His impressive performance with Coastal Carolina helped him earn first-team Freshman All-American honors in 2021, and he was also named the first-team and second-team All-Sun Belt for 2021 and 2022.

After learning new techniques with Coastal Carolina, he decided to enter the transfer portal and commit to Michigan in 2023. He joined the University of Michigan on 18th December 2022. He first made a big impact with the Wolverines on 30th September 2023, with five tackles and two sacks. His contribution helped the Wolverines defeat Nebraska, and he was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week. He was also part of the 2023 National Championship team.

As soon as he entered his senior season, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 9 edge rusher in college football for 2024. Although Stewart joined the Wolverines recently, he was chosen as an alternate team captain for the 2024 season. His performance on the field and in the virtual game is improving daily, and he has continuously proven himself as the best defensive end.