Three Biggest Surprise Michigan Players In 2022

Michigan finished the regular season and championship game a masterful 13-0 and several players who stepped up in unexpected ways are some of the main reasons why.

Not many people thought Jim Harbaugh and Co. could improve on the 2021 season after the Wolverines beat Ohio State, won the Big Ten title and participated in the College Football Playoff, but they did. They beat Ohio State again, this time in Columbus and by 21 points, repeated as Big Ten champs and made it to the playoff as the No. 2 seed with a perfect 13-0 record. 

Harbaugh accomplished all of that with a different starting quarterback, without three first-rounders on defense and with two new coordinators. It truly has been a magical run. A lot of people in maize and blue stepped in ways no one saw coming, especially these three players.

1. Mike Sainristil

Christopher Breiler

We've been talking about it all year long. When we learned of Sainristil's position switch, we just assumed it was because of how crowded the wide receiver room was and because the cornerback/nickel back position was somewhat thin. Perhaps Sainristil could just provide some depth and be a leader and positive influence on some young players in a young room. 

Nope.

Sainristil literally ended up being one of the best overall defenders on the entire roster. He was in the right place at the right time ALL SEASON LONG. He had one of the biggest plays of the entire year when he broke up a touchdown receptions in Columbus against massive tight end Cade Stover. 

On defense it's not always about stats, but Sainristil was very productive in 2022. He finished the year with 51 total tackles including two sacks and also broke up seven passes. He as absolutely sensational all year long.

2. Mason Graham

There were seven recruits rated ahead of Graham in Michigan's 2022 recruiting class, but I think you could argue he was one of, if not, the best freshmen contributors this season. Cornerback Will Johnson was the crown jewel of the class and certainly finished the year on one of the highest notes with his play against Ohio State and two-pick performance against Purdue in the Big Ten title game, and you could make a case for tight end Colston Loveland as well, but Graham started just about all season long and consistently made plays in the middle of the defensive line. It was surprising to hear that Graham was repping with the ones during fall camp and then his play was even more of a shocker.

As a true freshman, it's rare enough to play as a true nose tackle, but Graham did it all year and did it well. He racked up 25 tackles including 2.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also deflected a pass. Not only did he produce, he did a phenomenal job of playing with leverage and disrupting the middle of offensive lines. He has a bright, bright future at U-M.

2. Eyabi Okie

Okie belongs on this list because he was literally a surprise. News broke that he was on Michigan's roster in mid-August, which meant the media and public had a little over two weeks to figure out who he was and how he'd be used. It turns out that once he was acclimated, he was a major problem for opposing offenses.

After playing sparingly for the first half of the season or so, and then becoming more of a rotational player, he didn't exactly stuff the stat sheet. He compiled just 12 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks, but he was disruptive and often showed off his five-star talent while in pursuit. He made several key plays in big moments and was obviously trusted enough to be on the field in important situations. Now, he has announced that he'll return to Michigan next year and should be a huge piece of the Wolverine defense.

Michigan obviously lost Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo to the NFL, which created some major question marks heading into the 2022 season. No one knew how U-M would replace all of those sacks. Okie didn't get close to double digits per se, but he was as important as any pass rusher on the roster and might just get his numbers way up in 2023.