No. 3 Michigan Wolverines Defensive Players to Watch vs. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines will face their toughest test of the season on Saturday: stopping the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the Wolverines are armed with several weapons on the defensive side of the ball, each of whom can make an impact in this weekend's rivalry matchup.
Michigan's talent on defenses stretches from the line of scrimmage all the way back to the deepest levels of the secondary. Here are three names to remember when the Wolverines battle the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday.
1. Junior Colson - Linebacker
There is no one better on the Michigan defense at bringing down opposing players than Colson. The Brentwood, Tennessee native leads his teammates in both solo and total tackles with 24 and 60, respectively.
Colson is a prime reason why Michigan has kept all but one of their opponents under 20 points per game and maintained the team's perfect record. The Wolverines will need another big day from Colson on Saturday if they are to beat the Buckeyes once again.
2. Mike Sainristil - Defensive Back
Sainristil is a pain to deal with for opposing quarterbacks. The senior defensive back has five interceptions this season (the most on his team) and two touchdowns stemming from those picks.
In addition, Sainristil also has a sack, four pass deflections, and 25 total tackles. There aren't many better in the defensive secondary than Sainristil.
3. Jaylen Harrell - Defensive End
Simply put: Harrell is a nightmare for opposing offensive lines and the man whom they are charged to protect. Harrell's 5.5 sacks are the most of any Wolverine this season and have resulted in 46 lost yards over four games.
Harrell's best performance of the year came on September 9, when he recorded 1.5 sacks against the UNLV Rebels on the second weekend of the season. Another performance like this on Saturday is exactly what Michigan needs in order to defeat Ohio State.
