Two years ago, Mike Sainristil was just another wide receiver on the Michigan football team. Fast forward to 2023, and he is now a two-time captain on the defense and just got an interception in the first game of the season against East Carolina.
As any wide receiver would when committing to a school, Sainristil wanted to have the ball in his hands to score touchdowns and make plays when he chose to attend Michigan. In three seasons as a receiver, Sainristil had 36 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns.
At the end of the 2021 season, however, head coach Jim Harbaugh asked if he would switch to cornerback, an unusual move for a player who spent all three seasons as a primary wide receiver for the Wolverines.