ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jim Harbaugh has a history of having players switch positions and succeeding. Though some experiments haven’t gone as planned — Ben Mason as a defensive tackle didn’t exactly work out — we’ve seen numerous players excel when asking to play on another side of the ball.
His most famous conversion was probably Richard Sherman from wide receiver to cornerback at Stanford, but in Ann Arbor, Chase Winovich was a positional journeyman before settling in at edge rusher, Hassan Haskins was a linebacker for a spell before switching to running back at the end of his freshman year, and Michael Barrett was a quarterback in high school before becoming a safety then linebacker with the Wolverines.
The latest position switch has gone swimmingly, with Mike Sainristil converting from wide receiver to defensive back. He’s been everywhere, reminding Jim Harbaugh of Dax Hill with the way he’s played the nickel position. But why has he been successful?
According to his position coach, co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale, he’s seeing a guy who has a good understanding of defense due to his time on offense, and has been successful when it comes to executing his position.
“He’s doing veteran things,” Clinkscale said. “He’s out there anticipating the issues and doing a very good job of disguising and in understanding what they’re trying to do to attack us. And like I say all the time, he’s doing his job, which makes him a really good player. But he’s also doing things that make him great at times — when he could do his job and do someone else’s job, but making sure his job’s taken care of. You see him do that, really, with his effort.”
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What’s more, Sainristil has thrived because he’s accepted the position switch, wholeheartedly.
A team captain this year, Sainristil famously once said he’d play offensive line if he was asked to, so it’s no surprise that he’s attacked his new position with a fervor. Clinkscale expects to see him to continue to get more and more snaps as the year goes on, which is partly due to his ability, but also due to his leadership.
“His unbelievable effort, unbelievable strain, unbelievable passion on just trying to make plays and do things right,” Clinkscale said. “He wants to be the best DB on the team, wants to be the best DB in the nation. That’s his goal. Like he’ll play receiver, he’ll do anything we’ve asked him to do. But he definitely wants to wherever it’s going to be, he wants to be the best at it. And it’s just, it’s really just his drive and his personality, his mental makeup. He’s already a leader, and he’s gonna continue to be great in that role.
“But I continue to see him getting more of a role at corner, especially this week. And you’ll see, he’s got a lot of upside. He’s very fast, very strong, always physical. But he’s kind of a coach on the field a little bit. I love having him around the room, I do. I love being around him.”
Sainristil was previously committed to Virginia Tech as a cornerback before pledging to the Wolverines as a wide receiver.
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