The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488967
34 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2023 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL CAPTAIN MIKE SAINRISTIL TO RETURN ON DEFENSE IN 2023 Michigan received huge news Dec. 4, when senior defensive back and co- captain Mike Sainristil announced he will return for a fifth season in 2023. The converted wide receiver moved over to defense before spring practices and has been one of the top standouts on the unit this season, after playing offense the previous three years. "The season is not over," Sainristil wrote on social media. "In fact, it is just getting started — just like my time here at the university." Sainristil registered 51 tackles, 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 2 sacks and 7 pass breakups this season en route to earning an All-Big Ten hon- orable mention nod. From 2019-21, the Everett, Mass., product hauled in 36 catches for 532 yards and 5 touchdowns. Michigan is expected to lose three veterans with one year of eligibility re- maining to the NFL Draft following the 2022 campaign, and perhaps more who could decide to go pro after the Col- lege Football Playoff. Graduate wide- out Ronnie Bell (Reese's Senior Bowl), graduate left tackle Ryan Hayes (Se- nior Bowl) and graduate tight end Luke Schoonmaker (East-West Shrine Bowl) all have accepted invitations to postsea- son all-star games. — Clayton Sayfie Michigan Offensive Line Wins Joe Moore Award Again For an unprecedented second straight year, the U-M group coached by co- offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was rewarded with the Joe Moore Award (JMA) as the nation's top offensive line. The offensive line was a huge part of Michigan's success this year, paving the way for an elite running game with All-American Blake Corum and Donovan Ed- wards, while also providing great protection for quarterback J.J McCarthy. U-M averaged 243.0 yards rushing per game (No. 1 in Big Ten and No. 6 nationally) and 453.5 yards of total offense while allowing only 13 sacks in as many games — with only 1 sack allowed in the last three contests combined. The Wolverines beat out Georgia — another playoff team and the other finalist for the honor — by five votes. "To be considered a potential Joe Moore Award winner, an offense must be successful because of their O-line unit, not despite it, and that is unquestionably the case with the 2022 finalists," Cole Cubelic, chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee, said in a release. "Georgia and Michigan separated themselves pretty early on with their teamwork, technique and commitment to physicality." Michigan's starting offensive line features graduate center Olusegun Oluwatimi (13 starts) — the Rimington and Outland Trophy winner — along with guards Zak Zinter (junior, 13 starts), Trevor Keegan (senior, 10 starts) and Giovanni El- Hadi (sophomore, 3 starts) as well as tackles Ryan Hayes (graduate, 11 starts), Karsen Barnhart (senior, 8 starts), Trente Jones (senior, 6 starts) and Jeffrey Persi (junior, 1 start). In addition, tight ends Luke Schoonmaker (graduate, 10 starts), Colston Love- land (freshman, 5 starts), Joel Honigford, a converted O-lineman (graduate, 1 start) and Max Bredeson (sophomore, 1 start) were also key contributors to Michigan's success up front. "With 131 units on our preseason 'watch list', one of the yearly challenges the committee faces is finding enough time to watch the amount of tape necessary to make informed evaluations," Aaron Taylor, CBS college football analyst and founder of the Joe Moore Award, added (Taylor played guard at Notre Dame for the award's namesake, the legendary offensive line coach Joe Moore). "Thank- fully, units like Michigan and Georgia make finding the time easier by being so rewarding to watch. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about a potential head-to-head JMA matchup in the playoffs, as both of this year's finalists seem to be at their best when it's needed most — at the end of ball games." — Chris Balas Michigan became the first back-to-back winner of the Joe Moore Award as the nation's best offensive line (from left to right, shown with the award in the U-M weight room): guard Giovanni El-Hadi, tackle Trente Jones, tackle Karsen Barnhart, guard Zak Zinter, head coach Jim Harbaugh, center Olu Oluwatimi, co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, guard Trevor Keegan, tackle Ryan Hayes and tackle Jeffrey Persi. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sainristil was tabbed as an honorable men- tion All-Big Ten selection in his first year on defense, after registering 51 tackles, 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 2 sacks and 7 pass breakups this season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL