The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 141 1. WR/DB Mike Sainristil With all the star power at the top of the class, who would have thought a three-star wideout that was asked to change positions would lead the way? Sainristil was a fairly productive wide receiver, but the team needed someone to man the nickel posi- tion when All-Big Ten junior Daxton Hill entered the NFL Draft. One would have thought those would be impossible shoes to fill, but U-M called its shot when Sainristil flipped sides of the ball. The two-time captain was the consummate team- mate during his time in Ann Arbor, and the position switch unlocked a world of possibilities for him and his team. He manned the position at an all-conference level both years and was an All-American in 2023. Sainristil delivered in a number of key moments, from his pass breakup at OSU in 2022 to the inter- ception and 81-yard return against Washington that sealed the national title for Team 144. He was a criti- cal piece in the program's turnaround and not only filled the shoes of his predecessor, but he set the standard for those who follow in 2024 and beyond. 2. EDGE DAVID OJABO Ojabo, a two-time winner of Michigan's Most Im- proved Player on Defense award, was incredibly raw coming out of high school and spent the first two seasons of his career mostly learning his trade behind the scenes. He exploded onto the scene in 2021 and helped form the best pass-rush tandem in college football with Aidan Hutchinson, combining for 25 sacks on the year. Ojabo had 11 of those to go along with 35 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, 8 quarterback hurries and a team-high 5 forced fumbles. Ojabo's play earned him an AP second-team All- America nod and consensus first-team All-Big Ten recognition. He was widely considered a first-round prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft before tearing his Achilles at U-M's Pro Day. He was scooped up in the second round by the Baltimore Ravens. 3. S Daxton Hill Hill's recruitment was a bit of a roller coaster, from an initial commitment to Michigan, a flip to Alabama and then a flip back to U-M on National Signing Day. Regardless, the five-star signee was worth the wait and proved to be a valuable and versatile player on the back end of the defense. Named the team's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, Hill appeared in 33 games with 23 starts and was a steady contributor in the nickel position, earn- ing All-Big Ten honors (first team, coaches; second team, media) in 2021. His junior season saw him finish second on the defense with 69 tackles and contribute 4.5 tackles for loss, 11 passes defended, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble to go with a shared sack. Hill's play also earned him Defensive Skill Player of the Year honors from the program before he declared early for the 2022 NFL Draft, ultimately being selected No. 31 overall by the Cin- cinnati Bengals. 4. DT Mazi Smith The Grand Rapids, Mich., native developed slowly in his career, appearing in seven games during his first two years in the maize and blue. A breakout season came in 2021, when he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after starting all 14 games and posting 37 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 4 defended passes and 4 quarterback hurries. Smith earned the team's Richard Katcher Award as the best defensive lineman at U-M. Smith was named a captain ahead of the 2022 season and was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten performer and Michigan's Defensive Player of the Year, making 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack, along with a forced fumble and recovery and a quarterback hurry. Smith was selected by the Dal- las Cowboys in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 5. OL Trevor Keegan A team captain in 2023 and tone-setter through- out his career, Keegan was a three-time All-Big Ten selection (first team, coaches, 2022; second team, coaches, 2023; second team media, 2022-23; honor- able mention, coaches and media, 2021) and a key cog in two Joe Moore Award-winning units in 2021- 22. Throughout his career, he appeared in 44 games with 37 starts at left guard and was a stalwart on some of the best teams in program history. Keegan's tough-nosed attitude was exactly what U-M wants out of its offensive lineman, and he and Zak Zinter helped form one of the best guard tan- dems in the history of the Maize and Blue. Following his five seasons in Ann Arbor, Keegan was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. David Ojabo (55) had 11 sacks in the 2021 Big Ten championship season. He earned Associated Press second-team All-America honors and was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Ravens. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL BIG TEN TEAMS' OVERALL WINNING PERCENTAGES FROM 2019-23 Rk. School Rec. Pct. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes 52-8 .867 2 Michigan Wolverines 51-11 .826 3 Iowa Hawkeyes 44-18 .709 4 Penn State Nittany Lions 43-18 .705 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers 38-21 .644 6 Wisconsin Badgers 37-23 .616 T-7 Michigan State Spartans 29-29 .500 T-7 Maryland Terrapins 28-28 .500 9 Purdue Boilermakers 27-30 .474 10 Illinois Fighting Illini 23-33 .410 11 Indiana Hoosiers 23-34 .403 12 Northwestern Wildcats 22-36 .379 13 Nebraska Cornhuskers 20-36 .357 14 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 21-38 .356 Top Five Players