The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 37 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL couldn't have envisioned Alford going to "That Team Up North." And given OSU's pass-happy offense, it might be easier to land those elite backs at Michigan. Time will tell, but this appears to be a coup for Moore and the Wolverines. NEW ASSISTANT GREG SCRUGGS ARRESTED, SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY First-year defensive line coach Greg Scruggs was arrested for operating a ve- hicle while intoxicated in the early morn- ing hours of Saturday, March 16, two days prior to the start of U-M's spring practice. Later that day, head coach Sherrone Moore issued a statement saying, "Greg made an unfortunate mistake and was arrested for operating a vehicle while in- toxicated. He made no excuses and has taken accountability for his actions. The football program and athletic depart- ment have suspended Greg indefinitely while we review details of the incident." Scruggs, 33, spent the past year coach- ing the defensive line at Wisconsin. He previously was with the New York Jets and the University of Cincinnati. He played at Louisville while Moore was a graduate assistant there and went on to play five seasons in the NFL. As a player, Scruggs was previously arrested for a DUI charge in 2011 and dis- missed from the Louisville team before the Belk Bowl. Penalties for an OWI offense include up to 93 days in jail, a $100-$500 fine and up to six months' suspension of a driver's license. FORMER MICHIGAN OL STARTER RAVES ON TRESS, O'CONNOR A major part of Michigan's turn- around over the last few seasons was the strength and conditioning program headed by guru Ben Herbert, who left this offseason for the Los Angeles Char- gers. Justin Tress was his second in com- mand in the building and has stepped into the big chair. He's quickly drawn rave reviews. Former starter Karsen Barnhart said at the NFL Combine that the momentum built in the weight room should continue under his watch. "Tress is a character," Barnhart said. "I love him. He was awesome to have around. And I think he's going to be right at the top of college football for strength coaches. He's got energy to him that ev- erybody loves, and he's somebody that's going to do well. "Tress has got a little [Herbert-like] stare to him sometimes too, but he's got a fun side. Once you get to know him and are really one of his boys, he's awesome. He and [Sean] Lockwood have some good things going and that weight room is go- ing to be just fine." Nutrition is just as critical in build- ing what Michigan has done on the field over the last few years. With Abigail O'Connor sticking around, Barnhart be- lieves she deserves credit for how much she had helped the program. "Abigail is a huge part of our success and how our bodies are put together," Barnhart said. "She's a main contributor to that, in addition to everybody in that building who helped us get to where we want to be and what we did." — Anthony Broome SAINRISTIL RECALLS NFL PROMISE MADE Mike Sainristil is on the doorstep of an NFL dream, and that was something he envisioned for himself when he came to Michigan. Former head coach Jim Har- baugh and his staff sold an opportunity to better their players and prepare them for what the pros might have to offer. Sainristil and the 17 teammates in atten- dance at the combine saw it firsthand en route to a national title. "Coach Harbaugh made a promise while I was being recruited that when my time at Michigan is done, I was going be prepared for the next level," he said. "He kept that promise, and that was through every experience on the field and off the field. Everybody in the pro- gram, from the staff to the players, defi- nitely helped me prepare for this mo- ment. "Time and time again, you hear from people who have left here that there's no other program that's going to help me get ready for the NFL like Michigan does. "I'm very appreciative of everything that I went through at Michigan. I'm ap- preciative of all the guys and all the staff that I was able to go through it with." The combine is about selling yourself to prospective NFL teams, and Sainris- til's five years of experience instilled a lot of football wisdom. Front offices asked the former Michigan star plenty about what he sees on film and NFL-style ter- minology. He feels ready for it. "I've been very open to learning. When I switched to defense, I was in the film room the next day, learning our defense, asking the players and coaches ques- tions, taking notes," he said. "I spread my knowledge every single day. "From a playing standpoint, having an offensive background makes it so much easier for me to determine what I'm go- ing to get in certain situations. Receiver splits, down-and-distance, all of those things play factors in my knowledge of the game." — Anthony Broome 2024 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent April 20 Spring Game (Noon) Aug. 31 FRESNO STATE Sept. 7 TEXAS Sept. 14 ARKANSAS STATE Sept. 21 USC Sept. 28 MINNESOTA Oct. 5 at Washington Oct. 19 at Illinois Oct. 26 MICHIGAN STATE Nov. 2 OREGON Nov. 9 at Indiana Nov. 23 NORTHWESTERN Nov. 30 at Ohio State Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship Game Newly promoted director of strength and con- ditioning Justin Tress spent the last six years as a member of the U-M staff and is expected to provide strong continuity from the founda- tion built by his predecessor, Ben Herbert. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY