All-Time Leaders: Interception Return Yardage

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17Jan 2024
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All-Time Leaders: Interception Return Yardage

Mike Sainristil (image via SI)

Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil recently finished one of the greatest defensive seasons in school history, notching 6 interceptions and returning them for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns. Altogether, he finished with 7 interceptions and 240 yards for his career. Where does that rank historically?

  1. 431 yards on 25 interceptions – Tom Curtis (1967-1969)
  2. 240 yards on 7 interceptions – Mike Sainristil (2022-2023)
  3. 202 yards on 9 interceptions – David Brown (1972-1974)
  4. 182 yards on 8 interceptions – Thomas Darden (1969-1971)
  5. 169 yards on 10 interceptions – Marcus Ray (1995-1998)
  6. 169 yards on 6 interceptions – Blake Countess (2013)
  7. 145 yards on 6 interceptions – Raymon Taylor (2012-2013)
  8. 141 yards on 8 interceptions – Tony Jackson (1980-1981)
  9. 132 yards on 10 interceptions – Keith Bostic (1980-1982)
  10. 127 yards on 8 interceptions – Dwight Hicks (1975-1977)
  11. 127 yards on 3 interceptions – Brandon Watson (2018)
16Jan 2024
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Eli Owens, Wolverine

Alcoa (TN) Alcoa TE Eli Owens (image via 5 Star Preps)

Alcoa (TN) Alcoa tight end Eli Owens, a 2025 prospect, committed to Michigan on January 4, between the wins over Alabama and Washington. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, and several others.

Owens is listed at 6’2″ and 243 lbs. As a sophomore in 2022, he caught 33 passes for 385 yards and 5 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: Unranked
On3: 3-star, 88 grade, #24 TE
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #6 TE, #210 overall
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #19 TE

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16Jan 2024
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Amorion Walker, Ex-Wolverine

Amorion Walker (image via MLive)

Sophomore wide receiver/cornerback Amorion Walker has entered the transfer portal. He played in thirteen games for the Wolverines over the past two seasons.

Walker came out of Ponchatoula (LA) Ponchatoula in the 2022 class and was ranked as a 3-star, the #72 wide receiver, and #522 overall. I gave him a TTB Rating of 81.

Michigan’s coaching staff believed in Walker as an athlete, and he had some freaky testing times when it comes to sprints and short shuttles. But after two years on campus, he was listed at 6’3″ and 180 lbs. Despite Jim Harbaugh saying he considered Walker to be a starter last winter, he looked overmatched in the spring game – getting torched by walk-on Peyton O’Leary – and then got passed up by UMass transfer Josh Wallace during the summer.

Players usually seem to end up closer to home when they transfer – see Oregon native Darrius Clemons transferring to Oregon State – so I would expect Walker to end up somewhere near SEC country. He has a crystal ball right now for Ole Miss.

As for Michigan, the Wolverines will once again be looking for help at cornerback after losing Walker and rising second-year player Cam Calhoun (Utah) to the transfer portal. Starter Will Johnson returns on one side, but Wallace and Mike Sainristil are heading to the NFL, leaving sophomore D.J. Waller, redshirt junior Ja’Den McBurrows, redshirt freshman Jyaire Hill, and a few others to battle for playing time. Michigan may look to the portal once again for a starter.

16Jan 2024
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2025 Recruiting Update: January 16, 2024

Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna CB Chris Ewald, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)

COMMITMENT

Alcoa (TN) Alcoa tight end Eli Owens committed to Michigan.

DECOMMITMENT

Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna defensive back Chris Ewald, Jr. (4-star, #11 CB, #87 overall) decommitted from Michigan. He recently visited Georgia and also has visits set up to a couple Florida schools.

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14Jan 2024
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What should Michigan do at QB in 2024?

Alex Orji (image via WFAA)

It was a very understandable move, but Michigan suffered a big blow on Sunday when incumbent starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced he would be entering the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy is a two-year starter who went 27-1 in that role and won a national championship. According to draft projections I’ve seen, he’s considered to be a potential 1st round pick and is thought to be anywhere from the #3 to the #6 quarterback in the class. He could come back in 2024 and potentially be the #1 quarterback on the board for the 2025 draft, but it looks like that won’t happen.

So where should Michigan turn for a quarterback in 2024?

JADYN DAVIS (6’0″, 202 lb. freshman)
2023 season stats (high school): 204/288, 3370 yards, 43 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
The argument: Davis, from Charlotte (NC) Providence Day, is a 4-star recruit, the #7 quarterback, and #93 overall in the class of 2024. Michigan recruited Davis hard and put most of their eggs in his basket during the cycle, so the coaching staff really likes him. While he’s ranked anywhere from #61 to #116 overall by three of the four main recruiting sites, the fourth – On3 – has him all the way down at #218. One thing that really helps true freshman quarterbacks be successful is some kind of physical advantage – speed, size, and/or a cannon for an arm – but Davis has none of the above. He’s more of a game manager in the mold of Cade McNamara, and while McNamara did eventually captain his team to a very successful season, it wasn’t until his third year on campus.

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