Tag: Mike Sainristil

2024 NFL mock draft: Chargers trade back, add pair of Michigan players in three-round projections

The Chargers moved back five spots in this scenario.

The Chargers must load up on as much talent as possible this offseason to compete with the back-to-back Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, next season.

With the No. 5 overall selection, Los Angeles is in an excellent position to trade back and stockpile more draft picks.

For this mock draft, L.A. trades picks with the Jets, who move up five spots to select Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu. Meanwhile, the Bolts acquire an additional third-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.

Let’s dive in!

Byron Murphy, Cooper Beebe among top prospects no longer at the Senior Bowl

Cooper Beebe and Byron Murphy headline several 2024 NFL draft prospects no longer competing at the Senior Bowl despite accepting invitations

There will be a little less star power on display at the 2024 Senior Bowl. A few of the more prominent prospects who were listed on the initial roster release are not on the latest update.

Two of the most notable are perhaps the most likely players originally slated to appear to be selected in the first round. Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe and Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy will not participate. Others who are no longer set up to practice or play in Saturday’s Senior Bowl game include Washington OL Troy Fautanu, Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil and Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran.

It’s customary for a few prospects to decide not to participate, and there are various reasons why — from medical issues to advice from agents. None of the reasons are known yet with this group, but they are no longer listed on the rosters distributed here in Mobile.

With practices beginning on Tuesday, there are unlikely to be any further changes

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Patriots go all in on elite offensive weapons

The Patriots prioritize elite offensive weapons in this full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft

Barring any decisions to trade back or trade up on the board, the New England Patriots are officially locked into pick No. 3 in the 2024 NFL draft.

There are reports the team could wait until after the draft to name a new general manager to keep continuity with the scouting department and the work they have already done.

However, one thing is clear: The Patriots need more talent across the board, and it starts in the NFL draft, where they can get the most bang for their buck with low cost, high impact players.

Here is our latest full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft for the Patriots:

NFL Draft: 3 players from the National Championship the 49ers could target

Looking at three players that should be on the 49ers NFL draft radar after an impressing in the college football national championship.

Before the NFL playoffs get underway with Wild Card Weekend, college football decided its champion in a highly-anticipated battle between undefeated Washington and undefeated Michigan in Houston.

Although Washington was billed as the team with the high-powered offense led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr., it was Michigan who struck first with a pair of explosive scoring plays in the first quarter.

While Washington threatened a comeback bid throughout the contest, Penix Jr.’s group could never get out of first gear against Jim Harbaugh’s stingy defense. Michigan capitalized late to extend their lead in a slugfest to secure the 2024 national championship with a dominant 34-13 victory.

With the college football season officially wrapped up, here’s a look at three players that may have caught the San Francisco 49ers’ attention for the NFL draft with impressive performances on Monday night.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

What makes Alabama such a tricky offense for the Michigan football defense

This is going to be a difficult task, to be sure. #Goblue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Alabama is a different animal than anything Michigan football has seen all year. Obviously, the competition level is going to go up once you get to the College Football Playoff, but the Wolverines realize they have a challenge, particularly when it comes to containing the Crimson Tide offense.

Statistically, Alabama isn’t winning many awards. It comes in as the 55th-ranked total offense, 59th passing attack and 47th rushing attack. Just because it isn’t putting up big numbers like other flashy units doesn’t mean it isn’t elite. The Tide aren’t dissimilar from Michigan in this area.

Last week, Michigan team captain and fifth-year cornerback Mike Sainristil shared what makes Alabama so dangerous on that side of the ball. He noted how creative Tommy Rees’ offense can be in unexpected ways.

“They’ll run plays, the same play, a lot of different ways. They find different ways to get to it,” Sainristil said. “They’ll find ways to have you think that they’re in a balanced-set formation, and then they’ll slow the tempo down — and then they’ll have a guy step off the ball. They’ll do it while you’re looking at your sideline. And then next thing you know the ball’s snapped, the next thing you know the ball’s over your head, and it’s like, ‘Wait, what just happened?’

“But they have dynamic receivers, a really good quarterback as well. Throw the ball probably 70 yards in the air. And, yeah, like I said, their receivers are really good tracking the ball down the field. So, it’s a great opportunity for our defense.”

Still, Sainristil believes a few teams have prepared the Wolverines for what they’ll see on Monday, even if it’s much different stylistically and schematically.

“We’ve played very good offenses,” Sainristil said. “We played Maryland, who had a really good quarterback, really good at getting out to pocket, creating plays — something that’s very similar to Milroe. We played Ohio State who has really good receivers. You know, Marvin Harrison won the Biletnikoff. So we’ve definitely had scenarios that have prepared us for a team like Alabama. So, just being able to take everything that we’ve learned throughout the year and just put all forward here going into this game is going to be the best thing for our preparation.”

None of the above are ranked in the upper echelon of college football this year. Ohio State is the top unit Michigan has seen. It was 35th overall. In contrast, Alabama has seen the offenses of No. 1 LSU, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Texas, No. 15 Ole Miss and No. 16 Tennessee.

However, seeing a variety of looks is something that helps the Wolverines, Sainrsitil believes. Even though Sainristil did an admirable job of covering Marvin Harrison Jr. in the second half of The Game, he doesn’t believe it stylistically helps him against the Tide. But it does help him and his compatriots in the defensive backfield know they’ve had success against elite receivers such as Harrison, even though Alabama’s players are much different.

“Kind of — not really. Just because they do different things offensively and schematically,” Sainristil said. “But, I guess I would just say being able to take my experience of playing against a very good, NFL top-five probably picked going into this draft type of receiver — so I played a good receiver before. But, everyone’s good in different ways.

“(Isaiah) Bond is probably a 10.2 100-meter track runner — a lot faster than Martin Harrison I would say. So, there’s different things from different guys, but I’ve definitely feel like we’ve all been prepared different ways for this game.”

Michigan and Alabama will kick off the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024 at 2 p.m. PST.

What Jim Harbaugh, players said after Michigan football won third straight Big Ten Championship

LOVE this team! #GoBlue

INDIANAPOLIS — No one said it would be easy. And it wasn’t, as Michigan football slogged its way to a win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game to win its third straight conference title.

After the 26-0 win, the Wolverines took a long time to celebrate on the field before a handful came over to the postgame press conference to discuss the big victory. To say Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, and Mike Sainristil were jovial would be an understatement, but the head coach and players had a lot to say about the win and the season to this point.

Here is everything they had to say after the big win.

Michigan football looking to slow down Marvin Harrison Jr., not stop him

Is slowing him down the biggest key to The Game for #Michigan? #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In terms of passing offense, Michigan football just faced Maryland, ranked No. 26 in the country — the best unit it’s seen to date. But Ohio State is ranked two spots ahead of the Terrapins, and it has a lot more volatile weapons at its disposal.

Whether it’s the cadre of explosive, once five-star receivers, the tight end, or running back TreVeyon Henderson, there are multiple players who could burn you if you’re not careful.

While Sherrone Moore is usually only concerned with the offensive side of the ball in Ann Arbor, he’s now more invested in the defensive side (for Michigan), as well, since he’ll be in his third straight game as acting head coach in relief of the suspended Jim Harbaugh. What he sees on that side for Ohio State is a lineup of talented playmakers who can punish you if your keys are off, even a little.

“Yeah, they’re electric. They’re balanced. TreVeyon obviously gives them the ability to run the football very effectively,” Moore said. “O-line’s doing a really good job of jelling at the right time. And then, obviously, skill-player wise, Marvin, and Emeka, Cade Stover, and those guys, guys make plays on the outside and feel like the quarterback’s playing his best football. So definitely a challenge that our defense is gonna be up for.”

While running back TreVeyon Henderson will likely be a big focal point given his emergence of late, the most obvious player to be on the watch for is Marvin Harrison Jr., a Heisman Trophy candidate who is arguably the best player on the field no matter who else is out there.

Jim Harbaugh says that there’s one former teammate that he had at the NFL level who the junior Harrison reminds him of, and notes the best way to stymy his progress is likely through other means.

“He reminds me a lot of his dad,” Harbaugh said. “Great player, gotta be covered. You got to — slow him down probably the better word. Do our best to do that and everything works together. Pass rush — the faster the more pressure they can put on the quarterback, the better the coverage is going to be. Same with the coverage — the better the coverage is going to be then that allows the the pass rush to get home.

“Like any game, anytime you play a team, team defense is going to be critical and it all works together.”

Those are the coaches, but players like team captain and cornerback Mike Sainristil will have to actually contend with Harrison as well as the other weapons OSU has.

Sainristil says that it’s crucial that the secondary plays flawless football if it is to slow down Harrison, because any mistake could end up being costly.

“He has great ball skills, great speed, great size,” Sainristil said. “He’s your prototype receiver. The offense, they find a great way, lots of different ways to get him the ball. But for us, we just have to lock in on small details in our assignments, just don’t allow him to create explosive plays.”

The Wolverines and Buckeyes will kick off on Saturday at noon EST at The Big House.

If Michigan football had an Olympic flag football team

This is who we’d choose for an Olympic flag football team from #Michigan! #GoBlue

The Olympic committee is currently reviewing a proposal to add flag football to the summer games. Sweet. Since Michigan is already dominating colleges in the USA, it could be fun to see them take the show on the road and beat up on the other nations.

Here are some ground rules:

  • 12 man roster
  • Five on the field at a time
  • 70 yard field
  • Rushing plays are allowed if five or more yards from the endzone

So who makes the cut for Michigan? Let’s get into it.

Let’s start with the offense. J.J. McCarthy is the obvious choice to lead the charge, and he will do just that. His favorite targets will take the field as well. Speedy Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson are two more roster locks, leaving us with three more guys on offense.

Colston Loveland provides a height advantage, so he will stick. Donovan Edwards also feels like a guy who can create mismatches. Though a running back, Edwards is one of the better receivers on the team. He can motion around the formation depending on the defensive look and get open or simply take a handoff agaisnt a weak box (don’t think I’m forgetting about that touchdown pass in the Big Ten Championship game, either).

The last spot is a curveball. I’ll take Alex Orji! The backup QB is big enough to body smaller coverage guys, but provides a trick play element with his experience at quarterback. I’m imagining a modified option play where Orji takes a lateral and either breaks upfield or looks deep for a streaking Wilson. Pick your poison, Canada.

Defensively, things get a little trickier. Will Johnson, Mike Sainristil, and Rod Moore all have their spots secured, but who will man the ‘linebacker’ spot? Since the only size advantage in this sport comes from height, I’m going to stick in the DB room. Keon Sabb has show himself to be more than worthy of a roster spot. He has made plays, and has the right stature to compete with taller targets at the catch points. He will be our line of scrimmage defender tasked with hunting down the QB and picking up coverage on any taller targets.

To pair lightning with thunder, Keshaun Harris will bring some speed to the lineup. The former walk-on has impressed the staff enough to battle for starting reps early in the season. He is the answer to any country that pulls out raw speed (cough cough Jamaica).

The last pick seems obvious. Amorion Walker. Nicknamed ‘The Alien’ for his freaky athleticism and size, Walker has experience on both sides of the ball. It will be hard for anyone to out-athlete Walker at any part of the game. Getting a guy who can contribute on both sides of the ball is massive for a sports that has just twelve roster spots. Walker is a sneaky pick to be this teams MVP.

Mike Sainristil reacts to Junior Colson collision on pick-six

Hilarious! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was the pivotal play for Michigan football against Rutgers, and it wasn’t too unlike what helped the Wolverines pull away from the Scarlet Knights the year before — except for one key difference.

In 2022, on the road in Piscataway, it was linebacker Michael Barrett who intercepted a pair of balls from quarterback Gavin Wimsatt in the third quarter, with one of them being a pick-six. The Scarlet Knights had the lead before Barrett took over on the defensive side of the ball. On Saturday, nickel back Mike Sainristil had similar action, also in the third quarter, picking off the ball on a fourth down play, and bringing it to the house to put Michigan up 24-7.

The key difference? In order for Sainristil to make the return for a touchdown, he had something of a casualty: Michigan linebacker Junior Colson.

Colson, essentially just minding his business, was in Sainristil’s path, and the diminutive cornerback undercut the muscle-bound linebacker, flipping him upside down in the process.

On Tuesday, Sainristil reacted to that part of the play, in particular how Colson responded once the duo reached the sideline.

“The first thing he said is, ‘You flipped me!'” Sainristil said. “I didn’t even know it was him until he told me. Only thing, like — I intercepted it, kept myself up, and I just saw a pair of maize pants flying over my head. And I was like, ‘What the heck?’ I just stood up, kept running, and — you know!”

Certainly, once Colson got up and saw that Sainristil added six more points to the Wolverines’ score total, he had to have gotten over it quite quickly.

How the offseason prepared Michigan WR Semaj Morgan for an early role

Can’t wait to see more of how #Michigan uses him! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — All offseason, we heard about how the two freshman wide receivers who arrived early had an inside track to see the field early.

Sometimes that’s just bluster, but on Saturday, when first-year wideout Semaj Morgan hauled in a long pass while tangling with a Rutgers cornerback one-on-one, it became evident that the stories of the freshmen were true.

Despite only having played in four games in his college career, Morgan appears to be a bit more seasoned than the average first-year player. While he says he’s still working on ‘the little details’ and insists that he has a lot more to his game to unveil, Morgan says that his dedication to his craft and the playbook, along with divine favor has helped him see the field early and often.

“I feel like my work ethic is second to none,” Morgan said. “And God graced me with some talent I definitely can put to use. I just feel like hard work — cream always gonna rise to the top. And I feel like with me just working how I work, I feel like God’s favor. I got ‘favor’ tatted on my neck! I feel like I got favor from God. So if I’m working hard, do what I’m supposed to do, it’s all gonna play out. That’s how I feel.”

But was it that simple? Did Morgan just have to show up and work hard?

Well, it was a bit more challenging than that.

Morgan was one of a handful of freshmen who not only enrolled early but also participated in bowl game preparation and practice with the team as the Wolverines traveled to Phoenix to face TCU in the College Football Playoff. Fresh out of high school, Morgan’s head was spinning — with newfound freedom as well as learning everything that being a college player entailed. He wasn’t anticipating the 6 a.m. workouts, the level of detail necessary, the physical, grueling grind. Once he got through bowl prep and then spring ball — which was a different animal, he says — his head started getting screwed on straight.

Looking back, Morgan is thankful that he got those experiences because he’s certain that without them, he wouldn’t be ready to see the field as he is now.

“I feel like that was very beneficial because when we first got here, it was like we was deer in headlights when we first got here,” Morgan said. “Like, you know how fast everything went and I feel like if I would have came in the summer, I don’t know how fast I would have picked up on the offense. But, being here in the spring and being here in the wintertime, bowl prep, I feel like it helped me because — I wouldn’t say I’m a slower learner but it takes a little bit more for me to grasp certain things. So I feel like it was really big for me to be here back in bowl prep.”

While that’s his own experience, that’s not the impression that one of the leaders on the Wolverines had of Morgan.

Fifth-year nickel back and team captain Mike Sainristil has known the former West Bloomfield (Mich.) product for five years now, and he’s always seen a burgeoning wideout who was more mature than his age perhaps indicated.

“I would have never known if you didn’t say he said that,” Sainristil said of Morgan’s insistence that he was in a little over his head. “I thought Semaj came in and looked pretty good. I’ve known Semaj since I was a freshman. I used to work out with him when I was a receiver and he’s always looked like a really good receiver to me. I guess you could say it’s good to finally see him coming along and growing and becoming more of a team player. But I feel like if he stays consistent, stays on the path he is right now, he’s gonna be very special here.”

Fans will get another opportunity to see Morgan in action on Saturday when Michigan football travels to Nebraska. Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast on Fox.