In this article, we are going to discuss Michigan Football’s 5 most impactful players from the 2023 football season.
1. RB Blake Corum – There is an argument to be made that the senior running back was one of Michigan’s most impactful players of all-time, so the top spot is warranted. Blake was named one of Michigan’s 6 captains at the beginning of the year for good reason. On the year, Corum rushed for 1,245 yards on 258 carries, and reached the end zone a whopping 27 times, which set the Michigan football rushing touchdown record, and which was good for 14th all-time in college football rushing touchdowns. Blake was able to make plays beyond the X’s and O’s with his combined abilities to make cuts and power through defenders. Corum maybe wasn’t the fastest of running backs out there, but his strong body and ability to get low to the ground to gain leverage in certain situations was elite. Corum could always be counted on to get the short-yardage necessary to keep the chains moving in the most crucial of situations, such as against Ohio St. when he converted on two fourth-and short runs. Along with his rushing abilities, Corum was one of the best leaders that Michigan football ever had, and his leadership, hard work, and humble and kind nature is what made Corum a gem in the Michigan football history books. There will never be another player quite like Blake Corum again.
2. CB Will Johnson – In Johnson’s second season at Michigan, the sophomore cornerback was outstanding all season. Johnson finished with 27 total tackles on the year along with 4 interceptions, one of which was a pick 6. Johnson’s polished footwork and good speed allowed him to play at a level that looked beyond his years. Johnson was one of the leaders of the defense, not so much vocally but more with how he played. Johnson was a very consistent lock-down corner all year, as he allowed only about 45% of passes thrown his way to be completed and had only 4 missed tackles all year according to PFF. Johnson had an innate ability to completely mirror an opposing team’s route that a player was running, and he was able to stick with the some of the best receivers in the game such as Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU) and Rome Odunze (Washington). Johnson was clutch in Michigan’s biggest games of the year, as he had an interception against both Ohio St. and Washington. Overall, Johnson’s elite tackling and footwork, and well as ball skills made him not only one of the most impactful players on Michigan, but also one of the best corners in college football.
3. QB J.J. McCarthy – The Junior from small LaGrange Park Illinois took on the qualities of athletes from that area, which are hard-working, disciplined, and unselfish. These qualities are what made J.J. such a great player and person. J.J. was one of the most accurate passes in all of college football, as he finished the season with a 72.3% completion percentage which ranked 6th nationally. The junior threw for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns, along with only 4 interceptions. McCarthy’s ability to control the offense and make the necessary pre-snap changes on a down-by-down basis as well as communicate was very good. J.J. was an outstanding runner as well, and even though he did not have many opportunities to run during the season, when he did choose to run it was apparent that he had great speed. McCarthy has outstanding football IQ, and his knowledge and understanding of the game paid huge dividends all year. Along with his accuracy, speed, and football IQ, J.J. was able to make plays beyond the X’s and O’s. For example, against Indiana McCarthy was about the get sacked, and he escaped the sack and threw a one-handed push/flick-pass to Corum while running to his left which was incredible. Overall, J.J. was a true leader and always had a team-first mentally at all costs, which is not a quality that a lot of quarterbacks have in this day in age. In 2020 after Michigan had a brutal 2-4 season, J.J was asked in a YouTube video from a channel called The Wolverine about what the future of the Michigan program was going to look like with the 2021 class, and he responded saying, “There’s National Championships coming, that’s the future.” Fast forward to 2023, and J.J’s words were kept.
4. CB Mikey Sainristil – The senior from Heidi came onto the scene his junior season in 2022 after transferring from receiver to cornerback in the 2022 offseason and continued that success during the 2023 season. What made Mikey so special was his elite techniques such as outstanding eye-discipline and footwork, which allowed him to be very successful in coverage, especially against taller defenders. Along with Sainristil’s combination of stellar footwork and eye-discipline, he also had a great football IQ and was an elite tackler. His ability to track the ball in the air is what allowed him to snag a team-high 6 interceptions as well be elite at PBUs (pass break-ups), as he had 6 pass-breakups in 2023. Sainristil always seemed to come up with a game-changing turnover or tackle in crucial moments, whether it be 2 interceptions at Maryland in single-digit moments, a pick-6 against Rutgers, a game-sealing pick-6 in the national championship game against Washington, or a huge clean-hit on Ohio St’s Trayveon Henderson in The Game were a few of the many examples of the fact that he was built to thrive under pressure. According to PFF, Sainristil’s coverage grade of 85.0 ranked 40th out of 776 cornerbacks, which shows just how elite he was in coverage. Overall, Mikey may not have been the fastest or most athletic guy on the field, but his overall techniques and ability to lurk in different areas of the field and deceive opposing quarterbacks into making certain throws was outstanding. The 5th year leader finished the season with 26 total tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 interceptions. If there was any player who would be described as always being in the right place at the right time, Mikey Sainristil would be that guy. In addition to his spectacular play on the field, Mikely was one of the main leaders of the team who could always be counted on for helping to keep the culture in a good place, and was a player who made sure that every one of his teammates was being held accountable and putting in 110 percent effort every day in order to be the best players and people that they could be on and off the field. Overall, Sainristil’s calm demeanor and ability to stay neutral, grounded, and present in the most nervous of moments, as well as his leadership off the field is why he will go down in the Michigan football history books.
5. DE Kris Jenkins – The Senior defensive end from Olney Maryland was named one of Michigan’s 6 captains at the start of the year and was one of the best players on defense. Jenkins finished the year with 17 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 18 quarterback pressures. While his stats don’t’ necessarily stick out, what made Jenkins so special is that his strength at 305 pounds combined with his speed around the edge and mobility is what made him a special player. Jenkins never gave up on any play, and he was able to cover in both the run game and on the perimeter in the passing game. It is rare to see a player that weighs 300+ pounds be able to maneuver between different spots on the field as quickly as Jenkins did, and his quality footwork and ability to block-disrupt was very strong, and he was also a very good tackler for his size. Another special aspect of Kris Jenkins was his outward, energetic personality, which allowed him to always play with an abundance of confidence. Jenkins was one of the most positive players on and off the field for Michigan, and his positive energy always spread to his teammates and coaches. Overall, Jenkins will go down as a Michigan legend.
References
ESPN
PFF (Pro Football Focus)
The Wolverine.com Youtube
Sportsreference.com
Teamrankings.com
UMichSports.com 