The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
18 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL A total of 24 states plus the District of Columbia, Canada and Germany are repre- sented on the 2022 Michigan roster of schol- arship players. Here's a breakdown of states with the most representation and a look at key players from each: 1. MICHIGAN (13) Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the Wolver- ines' roster comes from their own backyard. Michigan's in-state recruiting has been strong of late, delivering some of the top talents on the roster. Fifth-year senior tackle Ryan Hayes (Tra- verse City) projects to anchor the offensive line at left tackle, while sophomores Dono- van Edwards (West Bloomfield) and Andrel Anthony (East Lansing) could be fixtures at running back and wide receiver, respectively. Senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith (Grand Rapids) and five-star freshman cornerback Will Johnson (Detroit) headline the in-state pieces on the other side of the ball. Fifth-year senior and Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Jake Moody (Northville) and sophomore kicker/punter Tommy Doman (Rochester Hills) represent the special teams. T-2. FLORIDA (7) A fun fact about Michigan's representatives from the state of Florida is that all of them come on the defensive side of the ball. The three that have the potential to be the most productive all come at edge defender, as well. Senior Mike Morris (Belle Grade) and graduate student Taylor Upshaw (Bradenton) project to lead the way at or near the top of the depth chart, while junior Jaylen Harrell (Tampa) will also push for time in the rotation and could be a dark horse. U-M brought in a pair of true freshmen from the Sunshine State in linebacker Micah Pollard and safety Damani Dent, both hailing from Jacksonville. T-2. MASSACHUSETTS (7) Michigan mined the New England area for talent when former defensive coordinator Don Brown (2016-20) was in town. Oddly enough, five of the seven on the roster are on the of- fensive side of the ball. Junior guard Zak Zinter (North Andover) leads the way as one of the best overall play- ers on the roster. Senior Mike Sainrisitil (Ev- erett) has made an impact at wide receiver but switched to defensive back in spring football and could play in all three phases. His move from offense to defense could be traded for a defense-to-offense switch with junior Kalel Mullings (West Roxbury) getting reps at run- ning back in short-yardage situations during spring practice. T-4. OHIO (6) Success in building the roster through the state of Ohio has lessened over the years, but the program still prioritizes it. Some of U-M's best players (including Heisman Trophy win- ners Desmond Howard and Charles Wood- son) have hailed from south of Michigan's state line. Senior tight end Erick All (Fairfield) put it all together last season and could be a force this year. Sophomore safety Rod Moore (Clayton) could be one of the breakout play- ers on the defense stepping in for the departed Daxton Hill. Sixth-year graduate student punter Brad Robbins (Westerville) also returns for one last go-round during the 2022 campaign. T-4. ILLINOIS (6) The program's recent infusion of Illinois talent is led by sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy (La Grange Park), who is joined by a former high school teammate in freshman wideout Tyler Morris on the roster. Other Illinois residents on offense include senior guard Trevor Keegan (Crystal Lake), an All-Big Ten performer in 2021, and junior wide receiver A.J. Henning (Frankfort). T-4. TEXAS (6) Michigan's contingent of players from the Lone Star State is headlined by graduate stu- dent defensive backs Gemon and German Green (DeSoto), the former of which could be the team's No. 2 cornerback. Sophomore defensive tackle Ike Iwunnah (Garland) joins the Green brothers on the defensive side of the ball. The Wolverines have a pair of quarterbacks from Texas in graduate student Alan Bowman (Grapevine) and freshman Alex Orji (Sachse). Sophomore Tavierre Dunlap (Del Valle) will compete for the team's No. 3 running back job. — Anthony Broome Michigan, Florida, Massachusetts Account For The Bulk Of U-M's 2022 Scholarship Players Scholarship Roster By State / Country 13 Michigan 7 Florida, Massachusetts 6 Ohio, Illinois, Texas 5 California, Georgia 4 Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey 3 Colorado, Tennessee 2 Missouri, Virginia and Germany 1 Alabama, Hawai'i, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Caro- lina, Washington, D.C., and Canada Senior Mike Sainristil (Everett, Mass.) is one of seven Wolverines from the Bay State. He is expected to play both ways this year, seeing action at both receiver and nickel back. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND