Big Ten Media Days an early glimpse into Michigan football’s leadership

More often than not, the players handpicked by head coach Jim Harbaugh to join him on the trek to the Big Ten’s two-day media preview event every summer are a window into future leadership.
Last year, three of the four players who donned a suit and tie at Lucas Oil Stadium wound up being voted captain by their peers — quarterback Cade McNamara, tight end Erick All, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. (Two of the three wound up missing a good chunk of the season due to injury, and later transferred out of the program.)
The year before, an ever-important 2021 season that helped forge a new path for the Wolverines, the first of back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances, two of the three players were tabbed as captain.
This time around, when Michigan takes the stage in Indianapolis next Thursday, July 27, Harbaugh will be flanked by three familiar faces — running back Blake Corum, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, and cornerback Mike Sainristil. All three are pegged as starters this fall and expected to contribute plenty, but each with their own, unique story.
Ohio State vs. Michigan 2021
Corum, of course, is the headliner among the group. He plays the most front-facing position of the group, and is coming off a remarkable 2022 season — 1,463 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns — that saw him in the Heisman Trophy race until a knee injury abruptly ended his season. And instead of declaring for the NFL draft like his coach suggested that he do, Corum elected to rehab and return for one more season.
More: Blake Corum’s goals for Michigan (and his senior season) remain sky high
Oh, and Corum was one of the first to declare the 2023 season all-or-nothing with national-title-or-bust talk. If there was ever a player to represent the program and its stated mission this fall, it’s Corum.
Jenkins is another player who turned down a real opportunity to turn pro and instead returned to college. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound tackle has bulked up this summer (he insists he’s north of 300 now) and figures to be the focal point of the Wolverines’ new-and-improved interior. Jenkins has 18 starts under his belt, including all 14 games last season, and looks to become one of the Big Ten’s best.
Michigan spring game 2023
While this might be Sainristil’s first Big Ten Media Days appearance, he earned the respect of his teammates last year — moving from receiver to defensive back, where he emerged as a bonafide starter early on — to being voted captain. He’s likely to be a two-time selection this fall.
Not only does Sainristil command the locker room, he’s provided input to coaches in the offseason. The Massachusetts native helped convince the Michigan coaches to take in Coastal Carolina grad transfer Josaiah Stewart, an undersized edge rusher who put up monster numbers in the Sun Belt and played with Sainristil in high school. He also serves as the team’s unofficial spokesman when it comes to issues with coaches. If there’s a player who embodies the team-first culture and recent turnaround in Ann Arbor, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone better than Sainristil.
While the topics discussed next week might still be a mystery, what is not is where these three players stand in the minds of Harbaugh and the Michigan players. All three are likely shoe-ins to be selected as captain, through their hard work on (and off) the field, perseverance through difficult times, and commitment to the team.