The Wolverines are the best team in the nation, the defending Big Ten champions, and a participant in the College Football Playoffs despite the fact that a number of key players who are vital to the team’s success on the field were not high profile recruits.
Stars are important, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. However, highly driven, culture-building, developing three stars also exist, and Michigan boasts a number of them that are integral to the formula that has made the Wolverines a serious competitor.
As of right now, Michigan’s 2024 class is No. 19 nationwide, per 247 Sports. Though the class features a solid mix of what makes Michigan so excellent right now—some highly rated stars, some middle-of-the-pack, versatile guys, and some lesser rated potential gems—that does seem a bit low given how much success Michigan has had recently.
Now that the 2023 Early Signing Period is over and some Michigan supporters are beginning to worry about the class of 2024, let’s look at six unheralded prospects that have elevated the Wolverines to the top of the country. One is a young player with promise, four are Michigan Men at heart and captain material, and one is a transfer who has played a significant role in the defense this season.
The idea that “The Mutant” is a three-star contender on all platforms is really astounding. Experts believed there were 486 players better than Jenkins when he graduated from high school. That is absurd. Jenkins is one of Michigan’s most crucial defensive players right now and a true beast. He is strong, agile, adaptable, and unrelenting. Although he doesn’t pack the stat sheet, he is one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game.
Remarkably, Sainristil received a four-star rating from every source, including ESPN, which is surprisingly the least involved in recruiting coverage. As a high school prospect, Mikey was seen as an athletic who could play on both sides of the ball, which occasionally detracts from a prospect’s ranking. The former receiver’s journey at Michigan is evident, but he has now developed into one of the nation’s top nickel corners. In addition to being a two-time captain, he is an outstanding ball hawk with exceptional talents and an off-field champion who would improve any squad or locker room. He was clearly greatly undervalued as a high school talent and is a future professional.
Moore follows the trend; he was genuinely rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports and On3, but it was evident that he was not a blue chipper since he had over forty offers. Moore caught Michigan’s attention, and it has paid off handsomely. The Ohio native, who made the game-winning interception against the Buckeyes back in November, was aware of the rivalry between Ohio State and himself. Like Sainristil, he has an uncanny ability to be in the right spot at the right time and make plays with the ball and tackle opponents in the open field. It’s difficult to determine who is more crucial to Michigan’s secondary between him and Sainristil.
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