It appeared to be something of an optical move at first, Michigan football wide receiver Mike Sainristil moving to the defensive side of the ball last spring.
But when looked like a novelty, working to put a player in a new position given the logjam at wideout, paid off visible dividends as soon as the season began.
batting away a sure touchdown out of the hands of Ohio State tight end Cade Stover with 7:30 left in the contest, the move went from pretty good to a grand slam.
batting away a sure touchdown out of the hands of Ohio State tight end Cade Stover with 7:30 left in the contest, the move went from pretty good to a grand slam.
Now Sainristil is in his second year on the defensive side of the ball, and it’s also Jesse Minter’s second year with the program.
From a holistic standpoint, he feels like the defense is on good footing, knowing where it’s been but realizing that in order to be better, it can’t stay in the rear view.
“Things have been able to start off well. The team is in a great spot,” Sainristil said.
“Coaches are helping everybody understand that in order to get back to where we want to be,
we have to not really focus on what we did. We understand what we need to do. Just my position, making sure that I can do everything I can to help the team succeed at the highest level possible.”