Mike Sainristil

Class:
Graduate Student
Position:
DB
Height:
5-10
Weight:
182
Hometown:
Everett, Mass.
High School:
Everett

CAREER GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS

CAREER HIGHS

• Tackles: 8, 2x - last vs. Washington (Jan. 8, 2024)
• Solos: 6, 3x - last vs. Washington (Jan. 8, 2024)
• Asst: 3, 4x - last vs. UNLV (Sept. 9, 2023)
• TFLs: 2.0, 2x - last vs. Bowling Green (Sept. 16, 2023)
• Sacks: 1.0, 4x - last vs. Iowa (Dec. 2, 2023)
• Int.: 2 - at Maryland (Nov. 18, 2023)
• FR: none
• PBUs: 2, 2x - last at Ohio State (Nov. 26, 2022)

Receiving
• Catches: 4, 2x - last vs. Northwestern (Oct. 23, 2021)
• Yards: 73 - vs. Notre Dame (Oct. 26, 2019)
• TDs: 1, 5x - last at Maryland (Nov. 20, 2021)
• Long: 51 - vs. Rutgers (Sept. 25, 2021)

At Michigan
• All-American (first team, 2023)
• Twice voted a captain by his teammates (2022-23)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches, 2023; first team, media, 2023; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022)
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 20, 2023)
• Won Offensive (2021, co-) and Defensive (2022, 2023) Skill Player of the Year Awards; shared Defensive Player of the Year (2023) honors
• Five-time letterman (2019-20-21-22-23)
• Finished his career tied for the single-season (2023) and career lead in interceptions returned for touchdowns (two)
• Program record-holder in single-season interception return yards (232; 2023) and second in career interception return yards (240)
• Recorded the longest interception return in CFP National Championship Game history (81 yards; 2024)
• Appeared in 62 games in his career at wide receiver, defensive back, and on special teams with 34 starts (nine on offense, 25 on defense) and work at punt returner
• Changed to jersey number 5 from 19 prior to the 2021 season; changed to 0 from 5 prior to the start of the 2022 season
• Though he played both sides of the ball in high school, began his U-M career on offense before switching primarily to defense prior to the 2022 season

Graduate Student (2023)
• Started all 15 games at defensive back and also contributed on special teams; led all defensive backs with 44 tackles including 4.0 for loss and one sack; intercepted a team-high six passes (and returned two for touchdowns) among 12 total breakups with three quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles
• Set a single-season program record with 232 interception return yards; also tied for the single-season (and career) interceptions-returned-for-touchdowns record with two
• Named a first-team All-American by Sporting News, and a second-team selection by CBS Sports, Sporting News, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated
• All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches; first team, media)
• Reese's Senior Bowl, Pro Football Focus (honorable mention), ESPN (honorable mention) Midseason All-American
• Earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 20), East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Defensive Player of the Week, and Reese's Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week following his performance at Maryland
• Four times shared Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Rutgers, at Michigan State, at Maryland, against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship
• Made an interception with a seven-yard return starting against ECU (Sept. 2) and made one solo stop
• Broke up a pass in a start against UNLV (Sept. 9) and finished with five tackles
• Delivered three tackles including a sack and two stops for loss against Bowling Green (Sept. 16)
• Returned an interception for a touchdown in a start against Rutgers (Sept. 23) and made two solo tackles with two quarterback hurries
• Started on the outside on the road at Nebraska (Sept. 30) and played at nickel
• Broke up a pass and assisted on two tackles at Minnesota (Oct. 7)
• Started at nickel against Indiana (Oct. 14) and broke up a pass to go with three tackles
• At Michigan State (Oct. 21), returned an interception 72 yards for a score, broke up another pass, and made two tackles
• Chipped in three tackles including a TFL against Purdue (Nov. 4)
• Credited with one tackle after starting on the outside at Penn State (Nov. 11)
• At Maryland (Nov. 18), intercepted two passes, both while the game was a one-score affair, and made three tackles overall
• Broke up a pass and made three tackles starting at the nickel spot against Ohio State (Nov. 25)
• Was named the Griffin-Grange MVP after forcing two fumbles, breaking up a pass and delivering a sack against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 2)
• Delivered six tackles including one for loss against Alabama in the Rose Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Jan. 1)
• Started on the outside and led the team with eight tackles; made a key second-half interception and returned it 81 yards, the longest in CFP NCG history, against Washington in the CFP National Championship Game (Jan. 8)

Senior (2022)
• Appeared in all 14 games with 11 starts at cornerback and played special teams; made 58 tackles including 6.5 for loss and 2.0 sacks with one interception among eight pass breakups to earn his fourth varsity letter
• All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches and media)
• Twice shared Defensive Player of the Week honors following the wins over Colorado State and at Ohio State
• Shared Defensive Player of the Game honors for his performance at Indiana
• Started at nickel against Colorado State (Sept. 3) and made three solo tackles including a sack
• Started at the nickel spot against Hawaii (Sept. 10) and made one solo tackle
• Recorded a tackle for loss among three stops in a start against UConn (Sept. 17)
• Stuffed the stat sheet starting at the nickel spot against Maryland (Sept. 24), producing eight tackles including two for loss with a seven-yard sack and also broke up a pass
• Played on special teams and from the nickel spot, added four tackles at Iowa (Oct. 1)
• Started at the nickel spot and broke up two passes to go along with four tackles at Indiana (Oct. 8)
• Made a solo tackle and broke up a pass playing the nickel spot against Penn State (Oct. 15)
• From the starting nickel spot, broke up a pass and made two tackles against Michigan State (Oct. 29)
• Contributed five tackles including a split-TFL starting from his nickel spot at Rutgers (Nov. 5)
• Against Nebraska (Nov. 12), started as the nickel and made five tackles
• Contributed five stops from his starting nickel position against Illinois (Nov. 19)
• Delivered seven tackles and broke up a pair of passes from the nickel spot at Ohio State (Nov. 26)
• Made a tackle for loss among three solo stops against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3)
• Intercepted a pass, made a tackle for loss in the backfield and hurried the quarterback in a seven-tackle start against TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)

Junior (2021)
• Appeared in all 14 games with five starts at wide receiver and also contributed on special teams in coverage and as a returner; caught 22 passes for 312 yards with two touchdowns and rushed once for seven yards with two kickoff returns; also made five solo tackles in special teams coverage to earn his third varsity letter
• Shared Play of the Game honors for his diving 48-yard reception at Nebraska
• Played wide receiver and on special teams against Western Michigan (Sept. 4)
• Caught one pass playing wide receiver and on special teams against Washington (Sept.11)
• Started at wide receiver and also played special teams against Northern Illinois (Sept. 18)
• Caught a career-long 51-yard pass against Rutgers (Sept. 25)
• In a start at Wisconsin (Oct. 2), caught two passes for 15 total yards
• Reeled in two catches for 52 yards in a start at Nebraska (Oct. 9) including a 48-yard long
• Caught four passes for 33 yards and also made a special teams tackle against Northwestern (Oct. 23)
• Brought in three passes for 69 yards with a 19-yard touchdown at Michigan State (Oct. 30)
• Caught two passes for 27 yards against Indiana (Nov. 6)
• Hauled in two passes for 11 yards at Penn State (Nov. 13)
• Caught a 13-yard touchdown at Maryland (Nov. 20) and also contributed on special teams
• Caught a 34-yard reception against Ohio State (Nov. 27)
• Brought in a one-yard pass starting at wide receiver against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game (Dec. 4)
• Caught one pass for 10 yards against Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)

Sophomore (2020)
• Appeared in all six games with three starts at wide receiver and also contributed on special teams; caught seven passes for 82 yards with two touchdowns to earn his second varsity letter
• Started at wide receiver and caught an 11-yard pass at Minnesota (Oct. 24)
• Started and caught one four-yard pass against Michigan State (Oct. 31)
• Contributed at wide receiver and on special teams at Indiana (Nov. 7)
• Caught a 23-yard touchdown, the first of Cade McNamara's career, playing wide receiver against Wisconsin (Nov. 14)
• Turned four catches into 44 yards with one touchdown in a start Rutgers (Nov. 21)
• Played snaps at wide receiver against Penn State (Nov. 28) and made his first start as a punt returner

Freshman (2019)
• Appeared in all 13 games with 1 start at wide receiver and also played special teams; caught eight passes for 145 yards with one touchdown and made one tackle to earn his first varsity letter
• Named to Pro Football Focus College's All-Big Ten Team (wide receiver) for his performance against Notre Dame
• Played snaps at wide receiver and on special teams in his Wolverine debut against Middle Tennessee State (Aug. 31), against Rutgers (Sept. 28), at Illinois (Oct. 12)
• Contributed as a wide receiver against Army (Sept. 7) and at Wisconsin (Sept. 21), Ohio State (Nov. 30), at Penn State (Oct. 19)
• Made his first career catch, and eight-yarder, against Iowa (Oct. 5)
• Caught his first career touchdown, a 26-yarder, from Dylan McCaffrey as part of a three-catch, 73-yard day against Notre Dame (Oct. 26)
• Caught two passes totaling 21 yards against Michigan State (Nov. 16)
• Caught a 35-yard pass, his longest of the season at Indiana (Nov. 23) and also made a tackle
• Caught an eight-yard pass against Alabama in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1)

Prep
• Attended Everett High School (2019) coached by Theluxon Pierre
• Led the Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record in 2018
• Helped his team to consecutive Division 1 state championships in 2016 and 2017, and three straight state playoff appearances
• Earned Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic twice during his career

Key Statistics
• Gained 1,740 receiving yards and scored 28 receiving touchdowns while adding 56 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns during his career; had four defensive touchdowns and two special teams scores
• Recorded six interceptions as a senior, adding 32 catches for 792 yards and 12 touchdowns on offense, in addition to 290 yards rushing and five touchdowns
• Made 33 tackles and four interceptions as a junior while producing 13 total touchdowns on offense

Honors and Rankings
• 2018-19 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Massachusetts
• 247 Composite three-star prospect, rated the No. 64 cornerback and No. 1 player in Massachusetts
• ESPN four-star recruit, ranked the No. 25 athlete and No. 1 player in Massachusetts
• Rivals three-star recruit, rated No. 2 in Massachusetts
• 247.com three-star prospect, ranked the No. 3 player in Massachusetts
• Received the Bouvier Award and Suite Sports Showtime Award

Personal
• Mike Sainristil was born Oct. 3, 2000
• Son of Carlot and Raymonde Sainristil
• Born in Port Au Prince, Haiti
• A musician who plays violin, piano and drums
• Member of the choir at the Boston Missionary Baptist Church
• Also speaks Creole
• Pursuing a Master's degree from the School of Social Work