The Michigan Wolverines football team’s players who won national postseason honors are discussed by Clayton Sayfie and Anthony Broome in this episode of TheWolverine.com podcast. These players include graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil, a “legend” at Michigan, and senior right guard Zak Zinter, a unanimous first-team All-American. After that, they discuss the running back room’s future before moving on to basketball.
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Sayfie and Broome discussed just how rare of a feat Zinter earning unanimous All-America honors is for a Michigan offensive lineman. The North Andover, Mass., product is Michigan’s 26th-ever unanimous All-American and the fourth in the head coach Jim Harbaugh era, joining senior running back Blake Corum (2022), Aidan Hutchinson (2021) and Jabrill Peppers (2016). The Wolverines have had unanimous All-Americans in three-straight seasons for the first time since a four-year stretch from 1988-91 — defensive lineman Mark Messner (1988), defensive back Tripp Welbourne (1989-90) and wide receiver Desmond Howard (1991).
Sayfie remarked, “One, it’s a huge accomplishment for a Michigan offensive lineman, and two, they’ve had this dominant type of player every year for the last three.” “And Zinter receives this award, along with top 10 finishers in the Heisman Trophy vote for junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy and senior running back Blake Corum. As a result, the Michigan Wolverines teams have some star power, which has been necessary for them to advance thus far in recent years.
“It’s significant,” Broome continued. “You give Zak Zinter a big smile. In my opinion, this offensive line has performed a notch or two below what they had been in terms of the Joe Moore Award standard that they had established for themselves over the previous two years. However, Zak Zinter has gone above and beyond in his work. He’s the kind of man who The fact that you don’t hear an offensive lineman’s name often is one of the best compliments you can give them.
Zinter, who had a leg injury during Michigan’s Nov. 25 30–24 victory against Ohio State, is out for the season, but he still serves as the team’s captain and emotional leader.
