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2023 Season Countdown: #2 Will Johnson

Name: Will Johnson
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 202 lbs.
High school: Grosse Pointe (MI) South
Position: Cornerback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Johnson #34 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He started five games and made 27 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 6 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 91

Will Johnson was Michigan’s most anticipated freshman enrollee since way back in . . . oh, 2021, when J.J. McCarthy first arrived on campus.

Okay, that might not be the best angle.

But still, Michigan fans – and coaches – were really looking forward to getting the 5-star corner on campus. The son of a former Michigan defensive back, Johnson had the size, athleticism, and local upbringing that made him a legend before he ever ran out to touch the banner. It took him some time to get that on-field performance on par with the hype, but he made it happen in the Big Ten Championship game.

The build-up to that game really started with his first career start, which took place against Rutgers in early November, peaking with his first career interception, which he returned 29 yards. It culminated with him following around Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones, who had a decent game, but Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell also threw 2 picks to Johnson. Johnson’s reactions and physicality really seemed to shine in that game and perhaps propelled expectations for him in 2023 to All-American levels.

I’m not so sure that Johnson will be an All-American in 2023, considering sometimes it takes ridiculous – and impossible to predict – interception numbers to earn that honor. Johnson could have an excellent season, but some kid from North Carolina State could make 10 interceptions and totally steal his thunder. Johnson will certainly be Michigan’s #1 corner and he should be one of the best in the Big Ten, if not the best.

It’s not only his talent that puts him at #2 in the countdown, though. There’s also the uncomfortable fact that Michigan does not have much proven depth at the position. The coaching staff brought in UMass transfer Josh Wallace, but there was also a time in the spring where Jim Harbaugh anointed Amorion Walker a starter . . . before Walker looked kinda bad in the spring game. While Michigan has quality backups at almost every single position, the one spot on defense that gets shaky immediately is cornerback, so the hope is that Johnson stays healthy throughout the year.

Prediction: Starting cornerback; 50 tackles, 4 interceptions

2023 Season Countdown: #3 Mike Sainristil

Name: Mike Sainristil
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 182 lbs.
High school: Everett (MA) Everett
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #0
Last year: I ranked Sainristil #25 and said he would be a backup wide receiver and defensive back (LINK). He made 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 8 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 84

As you can see above with my prediction from last year, Sainristil’s prominence in Michigan’s defense caught us by surprise. He was talked about by Jim Harbaugh as someone who could be a two-way player, and that hasn’t been uncommon with Harbaugh. Guys like Kalel Mullings, Ben Mason, and Amorion Walker have all played some on both sides of the ball during his tenure.

What no one seemed to expect was his turning into an all-conference caliber player, one who won Defensive Player of the Week two times (against Colorado State and, more importantly, Ohio State). He was a fixture in the starting lineup, a deft tackler, and a good cover guy. The toughness he had shown as a receiver over the previous couple seasons also showed up on defense, so in his first year playing D, he was second among defensive backs in tackles and fourth on the team overall. But surely his most memorable play was when he knocked a pass away from OSU tight end Cade Stover at the last second, preserving a two-score lead.

This season I expect Sainristil to reprise his role as Michigan’s starting nickel corner. There had been talk that he could slide to outside corner if nobody stepped up there, but it seems like Josh Wallace is the starter opposite Will Johnson at cornerback. Last year there was a surprise with Sainristil, so I won’t write him off altogether as a starting outside corner. He should be even better with a year of experience under his belt and a full off-season of focusing on defense.

Prediction: Starting nickel corner; 65 tackles, 2 interceptions

2023 Season Countdown: #4 Drake Nugent

Name: Drake Nugent
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 301 lbs.
High school: Lone Tree (CO) Highlands Ranch
Position: Center
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #60
Last year: Nugent played at Stanford. He was a team captain and named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12.
TTB Rating: N/A

Nugent appeared in just three games during his first two years on campus in Palo Alto, and then he became a full-time starter in 2021 for the Cardinal. He was named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 both seasons and even became a Rimington finalist last year. Unfortunately, his team was terrible and didn’t get much respect. When head coach David Shaw resigned, a bunch of players hit the transfer portal, including Nugent and offensive tackle Myles Hinton, both of whom ended up in Ann Arbor.

Michigan lost Rimington Award winner Olu Oluwatimi, but reports out of practice suggest the drop-off won’t be that noticeable with Nugent snapping the ball. He’s a fire hydrant in the middle of the offensive line, and he can move a little bit, too. (Which kind of ruins my fire hydrant metaphor, I guess.) He has good leverage at just 6’2″, and he reportedly has proven to be tough and stout in fall practices after missing time in the spring due to injury. Nugent should start and be backed up by Greg Crippen. Jim Harbaugh has said both players could be All-Americans, but it seems for the second straight year that Crippen will be blocked by a transfer. There’s a good chance that Nugent will at least be an All-Big Ten player, if not in line for even higher honors.

Prediction: Starting center

2023 Season Countdown: #5 Rod Moore

Name: Rod Moore
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Clayton (OH) Northmont
Position: Safety
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #19
Last year: I ranked Moore #16 and said he would start at safety (LINK). He made 71 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 72

By this point Michigan fans are very familiar with the name Rod Moore, but I feel like he did not garner quite enough attention last season. Maybe it’s because he was in his first year as a starter, or maybe it’s because he was not a highly valued recruit. Whatever the reason, he turned in a great season for the Wolverines, notching 71 tackles and 4 interceptions. In fact, that season total of 4 interceptions is the highest season total for a Michigan safety since Dewayne Patmon in 1998. Moore was solid on the back end and did a great job of keeping things in front of him, rarely getting beaten for big plays.

Moore is one of the best safeties in recent Michigan history, both in coverage and when coming downhill to make tackles. He has good speed and is fairly physical, but he just seems to be in the right place at the right time, which is probably more important than anything when playing the middle of the field. He’s supposedly a film junkie and has aspirations of playing in the NFL . . . in 2024. There has been some talk that his junior year of 2023 might be his last in the college ranks. I would expect him to be an all-conference player this season, backed up by Keon Sabb and/or Zeke Berry, both second-year players, and fifth year senior Quinten Johnson.

Prediction: Starting safety; 70 tackles, 2 interceptions

Recruit Tracker: 2024 RB Jordan Marshall

September 8, 2023: Marshall ran 35 times for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 35-34 loss to Greenwood (IN) Center Grove.
Season totals: 73 caries, 502 yards, and 7 touchdowns, plus 7 catches for 81 yards and 3 touchdown

September 1, 2023: Marshall ran 15 times for 113 yards and caught 1 pass for a 23-yard touchdown in a 38-28 loss to Cincinnati (OH) East Central.
Season totals: 38 carries for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 7 catches for 81 yards and 3 touchdowns

August 28, 2023: Marshall ran 4 times for 102 yards and 1 touchdown, a 75-yarder on the first play, in a 57-0 victory over Bishop Dwenger. He also caught 2 passes for 13 yards and 1 touchdown. Archbishop Moeller is 1-1.
Season totals: 23 carries for 222 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 6 catches for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns

August 21, 2023: Marshall ran 19 times for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he caught 4 passes for 45 yards and 1 score, in a 49-28 loss to Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis. Moeller is 0-1.