The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan third-year sophomore wide receiver Mike Sainristil impressed immediately when he arrived as a freshman, but he's still waiting for his breakout season. He talked about ex- pectations and more in a recent sit- down. The Wolverine: You've received praise from coaches as someone who has stepped up this spring. What is your role on this squad? Mike Sainristil: "I'm in a position now where I can be a leader on this team and to the guys in the wide receiver room. I looked up to guys like Donovan [Peoples-Jones], Tarik [Black], Nico [Col- lins] and [junior] Ronnie [Bell] the last few years. … Ronnie has always been an upperclassman to me. "Being around older guys has put me in a position to be in the shoes they were once in and help the younger guys, and help things progress here." The Wolverine: There's been talk about renewed energy in the building and guys having more "fun." What does that look like in practice? Sainristil: "You can feel the positive energy and good vibes when you walk into the building. Practice is very fun. Our coaches have done a great job of making practice fun — we have music going pre-practice and then it's just juice all throughout practice. "Guys are flying around and yell- ing with smiles on their faces. To the younger culture, music just gets us go- ing. There's another period during prac- tice where we play music as well, and it brings us to our comfort zone and keeps us energized the whole time." The Wolverine: You were an early en- rollee when you arrived in 2019. What have you seen from the early enrollee receivers, Cristian Dixon and Andrel An- thony, and how they've embraced the opportunity? Sainristil: "Coming straight from high school is a huge turnaround, which I can speak to myself when I was a mid- year [enrollee]. Coming in the spring is huge for those guys in terms of how it will feel once summer camp starts, because they'll be ahead of the other freshmen who will still have to learn the offense. They'll already be a step ahead of them and will head into camp with an advantage. "Andrel and Cristian add more to the receiver room, which will help us out a lot in the fall. Andrel is very fast and one of the fastest guys in the room. They both work on technique daily, and what impresses me is the way they enjoy learning and take to coach- ing. They just keep working hard." The Wolverine: Your teammate and fellow receiver Giles Jackson decided to transfer. Does that provide more opportunity for some of the other guys, and for you potentially on spe- cial teams? Sainristil: "There are opportunities everywhere, regardless of who it is … it starts with your mindset. When we found out that Giles was leaving, it was a little bit of a shocker. You can't hang on to that forever. He's moving on; we have to move on. "I wish Giles the best of luck. That's one of my good friends. I'll still con- tinue to talk to him, but there are defi- nitely opportunities everywhere in the room for guys to play. … I'd say I'm ready to play special teams wherever they need me to, whether I have to be in the box blocking, a gunner, a returner. Wherever I'm needed on spe- cial teams, I have no problem playing there." The Wolverine: What have you seen from second-year receivers A.J. Hen- ning and Roman Wilson? Smith: "They're both two guys with a lot of talent. I'm sure we've all noticed that. With the past season we had, it was a good season for them to look back on, watch film on and take that into this offseason; to work on their technique and continue taking coach- ing because they're two guys that will have a huge impact in the receiver room for years to come." — Chris Balas Sainristil (No. 19) enters his third season in Ann Arbor with 15 career catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns in 19 games played. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Sitting Down With Sophomore Wide Receiver Mike Sainristil