The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 103 Key Change, And Eyes To The Future Nobody can say Sainristil hasn't made the most of his Michigan experience. He's been part of a two-year turnaround vaulting the Wolverines past the Buck- eyes, to the Big Ten championship, and into the College Football Playoff. He's done so while embodying the dictum of Harbaugh's former coach: The Team. The Team. The Team! Bo Schembechler said it, and Sainristil lives it. When asked to move to defense, he never blinked. He could have attempted to jump to the NFL as well, but he stayed, with hopes of building on a strong first- year defensive foundation. When asked what he wants to show NFL brass this year, he noted: "Just being able to show that I'm capable of leading a group of men. The biggest thing for me is being the outlier, being the exception of being undersized. I'll go out there and show my tenacity, show I'm not afraid of going into any situation and being able to hit guys bigger than me. "It's also showing coaches I can do mul- tiple things. I can play outside as a safety. Wherever I'm needed, I'll go, to do what has to be done to help my team have the best success possible." He's already proven a willingness to help out however he can. "That's kind of the reason I even went to nickel in the first place," he said. "We needed somebody to fill in the shoes that Dax left. Coach Harbaugh thought I was the perfect guy for that situation and that position. Without hesitation, I said, 'Yeah, Coach, I'll do it.' "If the coaches this year need me to go out to corner, all summer I'm working on it. I'm working safety techniques as well. Whatever they need Mikey to do, Mikey will do." And Mikey will do it well. Just ask Cade Stover, and still-muttering Buckeye fans. As for the national championship, sure, Mikey wants it just as badly as the rest. But he understands it's far more than just wishing and words. "I'm very excited," the returning cap- tain said. "The potential is there. It's go- ing to come down to the habits we build through the offseason. That's what we're going to have to fall back on, late in the season. If we prepare ourselves now, we can get to where we want to be. "We understand the constant grind that we need. We have to prepare ourselves to that national championship standard. Of course, we've never been to a national championship, so we don't know what that standard is. So right now, we're just constantly trying to find more and do more, and just get ourselves to be the best version of ourselves. "It's definitely what we want to do. We also have a great understanding that the national championship isn't in sight un- less we make it through Week 1, Week 2, Week 3. We understand the week-to-week basis. "It's kind of like last year. Every game is, what's next? We want more. But we really do want that national championship. We just understand that's not possible with- out everything that comes before it." In other words, make the most of every opportunity. Sainristil lives it, and he's ready to embrace it one more fall in Ann Arbor. ❏ Grad defensive back Mike Sainristil will forever be re- membered for his touchdown-saving play in Columbus. But he's proven far more than a one-breakup Buckeye basher, and last year's numbers underscored that fact. Sainristil finished fourth on the team in tackles with 58. No fewer than 6.5 of those occurred behind the line of scrimmage (third on the defense), with the vet- eran recording 2 sacks, an interception, 3 quarterback hurries and 7 pass breakups, second on the team only to the now NFL-secured DJ Turner. The honorable mention All-Big Ten performer never missed a step in moving from wide receiver to de- fensive back, according to Michigan defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale. He knew the role Sainristil's pass-catching days played in the smoothness of his switch. "He understood the passing game, coming from the offensive side, understood the splits, wanted to do certain things that would put himself into a positive advantage, to execute his assignment and make plays on a different route because he had a feel for what was coming," Clinkscale explained. "Which naturally led me to realize he had very good instincts in man coverage and in zone coverage. "He could play corner and nickel, understand our game plan. In the spring, it was really remarkable. We put a lot on our nickel. He's really the guy who runs our defense and gets us started every play. For me to see his poise and maturity, his ability to adjust and make plays in one or two days of practice was very remarkable. "I've not really seen that. It's amazing he's able to do that." — John Borton Sainristil's Position Switch Raises Michigan's Potential Sainristil spent his first three U-M seasons as a receiver, racking up 37 catches for 539 yards and 5 touchdowns, before making a switch to the defensive side of the ball in 2022. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL