The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
BY BRANDON BROWN Coming out of high school, Everett (Mass.) High star Mike Sainristil was considered an athlete because he did everything for his squad. He'd line up as a wildcat quarterback, take hand- offs out of the backfield, catch screens and bombs downfield, electrify in the return game and lock down foes as a cornerback. He was modestly rated as a three-star prospect partially be- cause he doesn't have a primary position and also because he's just 5-10, 179 pounds. Still, he put up big enough numbers to take home 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Massachusetts, and Ri- vals.com Mid-Atlantic re c ru i t i n g a n a l y s t Adam Friedman was not surprised. "I like Sainristil a lot on both sides of the ball," Friedman said. "As an offensive player he's going to be re- ally good in that slot, all-purpose back role. He can catch it out of the back- field, catch screen passes and short out routes. Picture the way the Patriots use Julian Edelman, and that's sort of the role he would play on offense if all goes as expected. "I actually expect him to have the biggest impact in the return game. He's very good once the ball is in his hands. He can score from anywhere on the field because of his great speed. I expect him to affect the game on spe- cial teams in a big way." Friedman isn't ready to write off Sainristil as a cornerback either. "I think he's got the instincts and ball skills to create momentum-swing- ing plays on defense," the analyst said. "He may not have the greatest tech- nique and he's not the biggest guy, but he's super competitive and he's al- ways around the ball. "He's bound for success one way or the other at Michigan. He may not be a full- time starting lynchpin on either side of the ball, but I think he'll be a major contributor. He's just too talented." Since defensive co- ordinator Don Brown has been a part of Michigan's staff, U-M has brought in many underrated players from the New Eng- land area that have made an impact on the field. Tight end Sean McKeon, fullback Ben Mason and de- fensive end Kwity Paye are just a few from Brown's old stomping grounds that are outperforming their star rank- ings, and Sainristil could be next in line. "Michigan identified Sainristil early in the recruiting process and, despite a commitment to Virginia Tech, Michi- gan didn't stop recruiting him," Fried- man explained. "Those efforts paid off in a big way." Wherever he ends up playing, Sain- ristil seems to have the skills to suc- ceed. Throw in the fact that he's been on campus since January, and it starts to seem like he could be a surprise contributor this fall. ❑ Mike Sainristil Brings His Versatility To Ann Arbor STATISTICS Year Rec. Yards TD 2018 32 792 12 HONORS • USA Today second-team All-Ameri- can at defensive back as a senior. • 2018 Gatorade Massachusetts Foot- ball Player of the Year. • USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year in the state as a senior, garner- ing first-team All-State honors; earned second-team All-State laurels in 2017. • The Boston Herald and The Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection in both 2017 and 2018. • Named the most exciting player in the state by SuiteSports in 2018. RECRUITMENT • Picked up his U-M offer in Janu- ary 2018 while he was committed to Virginia Tech. He then took an official visit to Ann Arbor in June, decommit- ted from the Hokies in October, and pledged to the Maize and Blue Nov. 4. • Defensive coordinator Don Brown was his primary recruiter. DID YOU KNOW? • Finished his 2018 season with 1,082 yards from scrimmage, 17 scores and six interceptions. He totaled 13 total scores and four picks in 2017. • Had 1,740 yards and 28 TDs receiv- ing, 11 scores rushing, four defensive TDs and two special teams TDs in his career, helping Everett to Division 1 state titles in 2016 and 2017. THEY SAID IT • MassVarsity.com founder Adam Kurkjian: "I started covering high school football in Massachusetts in 1996, and I don't think I've ever seen a player with hips as fluid as Mike Sain- ristil. His movements are so natural." MIKE SAINRISTIL WIDE RECEIVER 5-10 • 179 EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL EVERETT, MASS. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 56* 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ 513 52^ 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 25* 1 * Ranked as an athlete; ^ ranked as a cornerback 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 2019 Projection If Sainristil is placed on offense at wide receiver — like U-M announced him — he will have young and talented players to contend with. Wideouts Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones will be juniors, while Tarik Black and Oliver Martin will both be redshirt sophomores. Ronnie Bell hauled in eight catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman, and fellow 2018 signee Michael Barrett is currently listed as a wideout. In addition, the other four 2019 wideout signees will all give Sainristil plenty of competition. Even if he winds up at defensive back, Sainristil will still face plenty of competi- tion to get on the two-deep, but enrolling early gives him a chance to make a quick impact wherever he winds up playing. Sainristil was a USA Today 2018 second-team All-American at defen- sive back, but he's expected to begin his U-M career at wideout. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 65