The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
[ D E F E N S I V E B A C K S ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 111 • Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from the media. • Saw action in nine games at safety and on spe- cial teams in 2021, posting 2 tackles. • Participated in all six games on defense and spe- cial teams in 2020, recording 6 tackles. • Enrolled early at U-M in January 2020. • Tabbed as an Associated Press Division 1-2 All- State first-team selection as a senior. • Listed as a four-star talent, the No. 6 player in Michigan, and the No. 17 safety and No. 223 player in the country by the On3 Industry Rank- ing. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL PBU INT 2020 6/0 6 0 0 0 2021 9/0 2 0 0 0 2022 12/5 41 1 2 1 Totals 27/5 49 1 2 1 MYLES POLLARD • CB So. • Brentwood, Tenn. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 191 • Redshirted in 2022, appearing in two contests. • Named first-team 6A all-state as a senior at Ravenwood High. • Made 35 tackles, including 3 for loss, and added 4 pass breakups as a junior. • Slotted as a three-star recruit and the No. 56 cornerback in the nation by the On3 Industry Ranking. KEON SABB • S So. • Glassboro, N.J. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 208 • Saw time in four games in 2022 and redshirted. • Played in the Under Armour All-America Game as a prep senior at IMG Academy. • Second-team all-purpose player on the Max- Preps Junior All-America squad in 2020. • Ranked as a four-star talent, the No. 87 over- all player and No. 8 safety nationally, and the No. 13 prospect in Florida by the On3 Industry Ranking. MIKE SAINRISTIL • CB Gr. • Everett, Mass. Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 182 • A returning team captain. • Tallied 58 tackles, 6.5 stops for loss, 2 sacks, 1 intercep- tion and 8 pass breakups in 14 games with 11 starts in 2022. • Switched to defense ahead of the 2022 cam- paign and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the coaches and media. • His three-year receiving totals at U-M are 37 catches for 539 yards and 5 touchdowns. • Appeared in all 14 games in 2021 with five starts at wide receiver, catching 22 passes for 312 yards and 2 scores. He also made 5 solo tackles in coverage on special teams. • Started three games and played in all six during the 2020 campaign, while registering 7 catches for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. • Started one game in 13 appearances at receiver in 2019 (8 catches for 145 yards and 1 TD), while also playing on special teams (1 tackle). • Named a USA Today second-team All-American on defense as a senior. Also selected as its De- fensive Player of the Year in Massachusetts. • Received Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2018. • Was a three-star prospect and the No. 1 player in Massachusetts in the 2019 recruiting class according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL PBU INT 2022 14/11 58 6.5 8 1 AMORION WALKER • CB/WR So. • Ponchatoula, La. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 180 • Played both ways as a fresh- man in 2022 but made the switch to defense this spring. • Played in six games (including one as defensive back in one) and caught 1 pass for 4 yards in 2022. • Caught 8 touchdowns during his senior cam- paign, headlined by 8 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown in the Louisiana Class 5A state championship game, which earned him Most Outstanding Player honors. • Competed in the 2022 Under Armour All-Amer- ican game. • On3 Industry Ranking tabbed him as a three- star recruit and the No. 76 wide receiver na- tionally. NEWCOMERS JOSH WALLACE • CB Gr. • Bowie, Md. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 190 • Transferred from UMass, where he played for head coach Don Brown, U-M's for- mer defensive coordinator (2016-20). • Three-time team captain at UMass (2020-22). • Played in 12 games in 2022, recording 41 tack- les, 3 stops for loss, a fumble recovery, 2 inter- ceptions and 8 pass breakups. • Ranked a three-star recruit in the 2019 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL PBU INT 2019* 12/9 33 0 0 1 2020* 4/3 12 0 5 0 2021* 11/11 53 4 11 0 2022* 12/12 41 3 8 2 Total 39/35 139 7 24 3 * at UMass CAMERON CALHOUN • CB Fr. • Cincinnati Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 271 • Had 52 tackles, 15 pass break- ups and 15 interceptions as a senior in 2022. • Named first-team All-Ohio in 2022. • Is Winton Woods High's career interception leader with 14. • Rated a three-star recruit, the No. 46 cornerback in the nation and No. 12 player in Ohio by the On3 Industry Ranking. JYAIRE HILL • CB Fr. • Kankakee, Ill. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 171 • Participated in the U.S. Army Bowl and was named his con- ference's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2022. Also named to Chicago Sun-Times' All-Area team. • Credited with 42 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions dur- ing his senior season at Kankakee High. • Also ran track and was part of two state champi- onship-winning relays (4x100 meters, 4x400 me- ters), along with being all-state in the long jump. • A four-star recruit, the No. 104 overall prospect and No. 12 cornerback in the country, and the No. 2 player in Illinois per On3. BRANDYN HILLMAN • S Fr. • Portsmouth, Va. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 191 • Originally signed with Notre Dame, before being granted a release and choosing U-M. • A Polynesian Bowl partici- pant. • Named 2022 and 2021 Virginia Class 4 Region A Offensive Player of the Year. • Rushed and threw for over 1,000 yards in each of his junior and senior seasons with 64 total TDs. • An On3 four-star recruit, the No. 137 overall prospect and No. 5 athlete nationally, and the fourth-best player in Virginia for the 2023 cycle. DJ WALLER JR. • S Fr. • Youngstown, Ohio Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 195 • First-team Division III all-state as a senior at Chaney High. • High school teammate of fellow U-M freshman Jason Hewlett. • Totaled 37 tackles with 7 stops for loss, 1 sack and 1 interception his senior season, and also added 215 receiving yards and 2 TDs as a wide receiver. • The three-star recruit is rated the 22nd-best player in Ohio per the On3 Industry Ranking.