Balas says Sainristil Moving to CB
February 17th, 2022 at 10:43 PM ^
His blocking is world class. He also made some eye-popping catches; a great athlete and teammate. I hope this change works out well for him.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:54 PM ^
A great teammate indeed. I can't imagine it would be easy for him to be asked to make such a move this late in his career. He was one of the players that I was really hoping would succeed and I hope he can make an impact at his new position.
Does he have any experience at CB?
February 17th, 2022 at 11:56 PM ^
He played DB in HS and a lot of recruiting pieces at the time thought he would be a better DB than WR
February 18th, 2022 at 1:22 AM ^
Yeah, it's very late for him but it probably would have been the better position for him to try to make it to the next level had he done it right away.
February 18th, 2022 at 4:22 AM ^
Hopefully this is not happening. He is a great blocker and has proved he can make fantastic catches. I think we will be fine at CB with DJ, Green, Mc Burrows and our 5 star freshman. Taking a valuable player out of the offense makes no sense.
February 18th, 2022 at 8:06 AM ^
If moving is best for him, and the team, I am certain the coaching staff supports it.
February 18th, 2022 at 9:58 AM ^
Taking a valuable player out of the offense makes no sense.
I don't know the particulars here but a lot of times when you see moves like that (assuming it is true) it is because people are getting passed on the depth chart.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
I don't know about apssed, but slot is an area where Michigan is very deep.
Ronnie Bell is coming back and while he can play outside, he's lethal in the slot.
AJ Henning is still developing as a receiver and blocker, but he's electric with the ball in his hands and if his route running progresses he's a prototypical slot guy.
Tyler Morris's route-running, hands and speed make him a candidate on the slot.
And this is without considering how often Michigan likes to play with two TE's and/or split Erick All/Schoonmaker out.
And lastly, being able to move Bell inside also alleviates the log jam on the outside WR, as Michigan will want to find snaps for Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, and of course Andrel Anthony.
That said, Sainristil really was a polished receiver, route-runner, and obviously blocker. He was a bit overshadowed because he wasn't as frequent a deep threat as CoJo or a speed demon like Wilson or Henning, but he was a big part of the receiving success. Maybe they'll let him run both ways. I hope this is a sign that Henning is ready to breakout as a complete receiver.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^
Because of his blocking, speed, and ball-hawkishness (Maryland game, anyone), I thought he had a very good chance at getting drafted as a WR next year.
February 19th, 2022 at 7:30 AM ^
This has a I'm hitting the portal right after spring ball feel to it.
February 19th, 2022 at 8:18 AM ^
Worked out well for Richard Sherman
February 17th, 2022 at 10:46 PM ^
Probably a prudent move considering the depth-chart at WR. This could actually work out because he is a good athlete with speed. Best of luck, Mike!
February 18th, 2022 at 12:49 PM ^
I think he must have requested the move, thinking it would be his best chance to make the next level. I'm willing to bet the offensive coaches are really disappointed to lose him for all the mentions above. We'll be fine at WR, but he was trustworthy out there. There's always room for a guy like that.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:46 PM ^
Braiden McGregor
February 17th, 2022 at 10:48 PM ^
I hope this means the other receivers' blocking is approaching his. I hope he is successful whichever position he plays.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:48 PM ^
Are we still actually trusting Balas?
February 17th, 2022 at 11:01 PM ^
Idk what to think at this point. Seth’s 27 tickets called him “discredited insider”.
Just my guess is there’s a little bit of a rivalry between insider sites right now. Rivals, 247, and On3 all trying to up their subs. Seems like Balas and Webb really disagree on what’s been going on lately. I have no way of knowing anything but I dislike seeing Michigan reporters bash each other, unless we’re talking about a Yoder type who gets a cease and desist letter from the AD.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:12 PM ^
Is this move to Cornerback "just a formality"?
February 17th, 2022 at 11:22 PM ^
I really think there's a stark difference in credibility with 247/The Athletic being well above both Rivals and On3, but I guess that's just my opinion. Youre never going to be 100% accurate when breaking 'insider' stories because once confirmed they're no longer insider, but missing on Harbaugh leaving was...not ideal
February 18th, 2022 at 6:18 AM ^
Webb is so full of himself. The little guy thinks he’s the only person with inside access. Annoying as hell.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:06 AM ^
I think they're all a little bit full of themselves, but people probably think that about me, too. I think there are some posters here who are full of themselves, too. I guess that's just how it goes.
I thought it was funny when Sam/Ira sort of bashed Bruce Feldman - a respected national report - for writing an article about the Harbaugh/NFL interest, and then all Michigan fans, including Sam/Ira, had to sweat it out until the 11th hour thinking Harbaugh might very well be gone.
February 18th, 2022 at 11:39 AM ^
Any time someone has insider info it is easy to get an inflated ego. I think its human nature. Just always remember that insider info is just recruiting/sports related and not nuclear secrets or who killed JFK.
*not directed at Magnus.
February 18th, 2022 at 11:48 AM ^
Yeah, there were some strong takes about him not leaving. Somehow almost everyone was kind of right/kind of wrong on the Harbaugh/NFL thing. I don't think people should get to do a victory lap if they predicted he would stay just because the Vikings didn't offer him the job.
One thing I will say about Sam is it does appear he's the most connected to higher up sources given his track record and he does seem to be the most tepid with predicting things that aren't certainty. So I'll give him credit for that. But I will also admit I don't get into the insider stuff too much. He was a big defender of Gattis and that the offense was entirely his, but a lot of people (Brian included) were adamant it was Harbaugh's show. That was one where we may never know the truth but it's likely somewhere in the middle. Oh the palace intrigue at Michigan is so much more boring than the SEC schools. But that's probably a good thing.
February 18th, 2022 at 8:00 AM ^
I'm in the fool me once category with Balas. I will believe when it is confirmed from other sources.
February 18th, 2022 at 8:37 AM ^
I am pretty sure he is "discredited" for sharing a bunch of misinformation during Harbaugh's dalliance with the NFL.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:09 AM ^
Who says it was misinformation? It's very possible his sources just aren't very connected. He should know better than to pass off bad sources as facts (assuming he did), but it's what gets the clicks in today's world.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:26 AM ^
You realize passing bad information as facts is the definition of misinformation?
February 18th, 2022 at 10:44 AM ^
No, if that was true the entire press corps, every government official ever quoted and every PR person ever would be guilty of misinformation.
He has no intention to deceive, he's just doesn't care to vet his sources given he gets paid by the click, not by being right.
February 18th, 2022 at 1:16 PM ^
Wrong. Misinformation is simply false information that is presented as fact regardless of intent to deceive. You are thinking of disinformation.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:51 AM ^
He wasn’t the source of the bad Gattis rumors. He was the source of “Gattis was vetted and passed over for the HC job.” On3 also said “Gattis hasn’t been on the trail much, he’s focused on coordinating.”
From there the rumors spiraled out of control. And Sam Webb has been the only person vehemently pushing back. I was trying to skirt around bringing up the rumors again, but yeah that’s what I meant about the last month leading to an insider rivalry. Webb vs Balas.
February 18th, 2022 at 12:09 PM ^
It's not about rivalry. I will say it again: If you don't have an On3/Wolverine subscription, you should get it because EJ Holland busts his ass with recruits, Tim Verghese is a great addition, John Borton is well-connected, and Anthony Broome is excellent, as he proved over years of building up Maize n Brew.
Balas has shredded his credibility over multiple instances in the last year or so, and was the primary culprit in spreading disinformation to undermine Gattis.
You make a very serious allegation when you suggest that "rivalry" is the basis for my presentation of insiders' information. An allegation that could severely damage my relationship with journalists at The Wolverine I've been reading for 30 years, and whose work I've recommended constantly.
When I talk about Balas publicly, it's not done lightly, and it's certainly not done out of "rivalry." Balas was pushing lies that he had to know were lies about Gattis at a time when we came closer than anyone seems to realize to having Gattis become the head coach of Michigan. When someone does that, I have a responsibility to my readers--one that I take very seriously--to let them know that a source of information is willing to feed them bad information.
February 18th, 2022 at 1:24 AM ^
He may not be trustworthy but this move makes a lot of sense. Bell is probably going to play the slot so CJ and Anthony can play on the outside. And you still have Henning.
February 18th, 2022 at 6:37 AM ^
Bell was primarily an outside receiver who could move around in recent seasons, so this would be a change.
But not a ridiculous one given the talent outside. IF there’s any accuracy, this may be a situation where the staff has to decide who gets snaps slashed, and it’s between Sainristil and a talented outside guy like Roman Wilson or Andrel Anthony. Good problems to have, but problems nonetheless.
February 18th, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
IIRC Bell primarily played in the slot when we had good outside receivers in 2019. He moved in 2020 because we had RS freshman Cornelius Johnson and a bunch of small true freshmen once Nico opted out. Slot seems like a more natural position for him.
February 18th, 2022 at 8:55 AM ^
You should.
February 18th, 2022 at 9:10 AM ^
Seems like we found Balas. Downvoting anyone who mentioned that Balas is discredited and upvoted the person trashing Webb.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
He played both ways in HS, right? This isn't all that radical of a move. Guy is fun to watch, hope he also does returns.
February 18th, 2022 at 12:38 AM ^
The returns as in pick 6’s!!
February 17th, 2022 at 11:00 PM ^
Didn't Seth just say this rumor was suspect a couple days ago?
I certainly have never had access to any inside information, but this seems ridiculous to me. Sainristil was a solid contributor at receiver last year. Now he's going to move to a new position he hasn't played since high school in his 4th year in the program?
It's not like cornerback is super thin either. We've got guys coming back there and some really highly rated freshmen coming in. I seriously doubt Sainristil would move up the depth chart by flipping sides of the ball, especially since he's already a solid contributor at receiver.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:16 PM ^
Yeah this makes zero sense. It's not like he's buried on the depth chart. And WR sees more rotation than CB.
February 18th, 2022 at 12:21 AM ^
Good post. I can't see how Sainristil provides more value at this stage as a CB - a position he hasn't at this level. Meanwhile, he has contributed on offense despite a crowded and talented WR room. I'm calling bullshit, or at least a bullshit musing from an unreliable hot-take artist.
February 18th, 2022 at 12:28 AM ^
Seems like an odd move to me as well. While the WR room is definitely fully stocked this upcoming season, but he's been near the top of the depth chart since his freshman year getting meaningful snaps. Plus it's not like CB is in dire straights. On paper, there doesn't appear to be a lot of snaps for a converted Sr. wideout to capture.
To me, this sounds either like BS or a preemptive roster move before a subsequent transfer after spring ball. I guess we'll find out.
February 18th, 2022 at 5:57 AM ^
If true he won't be here by fall. Why not just transfer and play wr.
February 18th, 2022 at 6:32 AM ^
Even though Balas has a lot of egg on his face right now, I have a hard time believing he is just going to make stuff up. Unless the department is literally feeding him disinformation to torpedo his status.
But from a logic standpoint, I don’t get this either. Ronnie Bell playing slot makes sense… but Sainristil got a solid majority of snaps as the slot last year, easily besting Henning. And Bell wasn’t primarily a slot receiver last year.
It would be a huge surprise for Sainristil to move to CB and be anything other than a backup.
If there’s any grounds to this, I think it means that he’s running with the CB crew a bit as well as slot, and it may be the precursor to a transfer.
We are probably losing a receiver or two to the portal, just based on math. Sainristil doesn’t seem to make much sense as a DB, but if the staff thinks their best receiver lineup requires a guy like Bell to move inside, giving more snaps to Johnson and Anthony, maybe Mike is the odd guy out.
He’s a player, and a key part of a championship team. We’ll see what happens, I guess.
February 18th, 2022 at 8:25 AM ^
Unless this is Sainristil's asking to switch, I also do not see the validity here. He's dangerously close to "slot jitterbug" status and although he's speedy for sure, I don't really see him covering anyone over 6'1 or 6'2. Even with all of the returning WR pieces, he still should have plenty to contribute on the offense. I can't remember if he is already but I'd be open to him returning punts/kick offs along with Henning.
February 18th, 2022 at 10:07 AM ^
Yeah I don't want to see Ronnie Bell returning punts anymore.
Sainristil made some insane catches, One against Maryland over the shoulder in the endzone and laying out horizontally against Nebraska plus he's a great blocker.
But with Walker and Clemons coming in and Bell returning the wr room is a little full.
Conversely we lose George Johnson, Darion Green-Warren, Seldon to the portal and Gray and Dax to the NFL So there is a there is a lot more room on that side of the ball.
February 18th, 2022 at 9:33 AM ^
It could be a "let's try this out in spring ball and see how it goes" kind of thing.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:01 PM ^
If true (Chris Balas has lost all credibility with me after his Harbaugh recruiting) it seems like an odd move to me. Turner for sure has one starter spot locked down and he'd be competing with Gemon Green (a 4 year veteran) and a 5 star freshman. I'm not sure he will find any as a CB. I understand the concern about finding minutes as a receiver but he managed to carve out a role and seems like the best position of fit. I guess if its between changing positions or transferring then I am glad he is choosing the former, but its still perplexing.
Also this has a good chance of being bullshit anyways
February 17th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
I loved him this past season. He is an A level blocker and did a good job in the slot.
He must have shown something to show that he can compete for CB2 alongside Turner to take an entrenched starter and move him to the other side of the ball.
The WR room is so loaded currently that maybe Mike can help the team more on the other side. We have two legitimate outside guys in Johnson and Anthony. Two Swiss Army type guys in Bell and Wilson (try and cover them in the slot). Henning is a top-100 guy with blazing speed and of course we can flank Edwards out who may be the second best WR out of all of them.
Offensively, this will be the best unit we have seen here in a long, long time. We have the QB, the RBs, the TEs and the Receivers. We bring back 3 OL from the group who mauled OSU and replace them with a guy who has shown he can step in admirably (Jones or Barnhart) and an upgrade at C.
And dare I say; I think we have upgraded at OC.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:20 PM ^
Henning can't run routes and Wilson can't block. Slot isn't so loaded that I don't see PT available for Sarinstil.