Mike

Sainristil

An All-American and First Team All Big-10 selection, Sainristil (5'9/182) was arguably the top nickel corner in the nation this year. The converted slot wide receiver allowed a 58% reception rate on 50 targets, to go along with six pass breakups and six interceptions which ranked third in the FBS. He is a pure athlete who can change the direction of the field quickly, or even change the score (two touchdowns in ‘23). An elite zone cover DB who earned a strong 85th percentile cover grade, Sainristil should be plug-and-play at the next level in the slot. He possesses elite ball skills with 13 pass breakups and seven interceptions over the last two seasons. A plus athlete, The Michigan shutdown corner put up 95th% jumping marks with a scorching 4.01s shuttle (94th%) for an 8.45 RAS. While he may struggle with press/man coverage he does add physicality in run support to his resume with 44 run stops and 20 total pressures with two sacks in the last two years. Sainristil has a high motor and never stops, is consistently around the ball and has the athleticism to shine in a nickel role.

As Feldman notes, Sainristil (5'10/175) was a freshman who enrolled early, and while he ‘only’ had the three-star designation, it sounds like there’s a real shot he’s going to earn early playing time with the Wolverines. It’s also not the first time we’ve heard of him standing out in the spring -- not that Feldman isn’t as reliable as it gets -- and it’s always nice to get multiple reports of playing well. “Harbaugh says Sainristil’s speed and change of direction is “eye-opening” and he loves the kid’s enthusiasm,” Feldman writes. “He’s hell-bent on learning everything he can and excited for every rep that he can get,” he said.” Keep an eye out.

“He has a level of quickness, change of direction, speed that has been really eye opening and really good for the team, but he’s also tough,” said hC Jim Harbaugh. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Sainristil has received additional love for his hands and football smarts from UM coaches and players this offseason. With a strong August camp, the three-star freshman could make an early impact in UM’s rotation this fall. Shaw tags Sainristil as the biggest “riser” to emerge out of spring ball.