Michigan Football: Three-Star Recruits Turned Impact Players

It's no secret that the Michigan Wolverines will feature one of the top rosters in all of college football during the 2023 season. Not only is Michigan returning over 80 percent of its production from the 2022 season, many of the players who returned would have been drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. With so much talent on the roster, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the impact players who arrived at Michigan as three-star recruits.

Throughout the Jim Harbaugh era, Michigan has recruited plenty of three-star talents who have turned into NFL Draft picks. Guys like Devin Bush Jr., Josh Uche, Kwity Paye, and Hassan Haskins were all three-star recruits when they arrived in Ann Arbor as freshman - and all became eventual NFL Draft picks. Most recently, guys like Ronnie Bell, Mike Morris and DJ Turner all made the transition from three-star recruit to NFL Draft pick as a result of their experience at Michigan.

Here are some notable former three-star recruits that are currently on Michigan's roster:

Zak Zinter, OL - Senior

Part of two Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines (2021-22), the first back-to-back winners in history Two-time
All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team in 2022; second team, media, honorable mention, coaches in 2021) CSC Academic
All-American (second team, 2022)
Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021, '22)
Has appeared in 33 games with 31 starts along the offensive line; all but one at right guard
Three-time letterman (2020-21-22)
Note: was rated as a three-star via 247Sports, a four-star via Rivals

Jaylen Harrell, EDGE - Senior

Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021, '22)
All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, media, 2022)
Three-time letterman (2020, '21, '22)
Has appeared in 31 games with 16 starts during his career

Mike Barrett, LB - Graduate Student

All-Big Ten selection (third team, coaches; honorable mention, media, 2022)
Named the team's Most Improved Player on Defense (2022)
Five-year letterman (2018-19-20-21-22)
Has appeared in 49 games, with 20 starts at linebacker

Kris Jenkins, DL - Senior

Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021)
All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022)
Three-time letterman (2020-21-22)
Has appeared in 29 career games with 18 starts along the defensive line

Mike Sainristil, DB - Graduate Student

All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022)
Won both the Offensive (2021, co-) and Defensive (2022) Skill Player of the Year Awards
Four-year letterman (2019-20-21-22)
Has appeared in 47 games in his career at wide receiver, defensive back, and on special teams with 21 starts (nine on offense, 12 on defense) and work at punt returner
Began his U-M career on offense before switching primarily to defense prior to the 2022 season