Mike Sainristil all in with "SubZero" nickname, jersey number
With Mike Sainristil's position change to corner this spring he also had to change his jersey number from #5, also worn by CB DJ Turner. Sainristil wore #0 during the Maize and Blue Spring Game, and it appears that may be a permanent change.
Sainristil is offering his SubZero clothing through Fan Arch. The shirts feature an image of Sainrstil wearing the #0 jersey. One has his name and a giant 0, while the other features the "SubZero" nickname.
What makes this interesting is the change avoided conflict with CB DJ Turner, but creates a potential conflict with WR Darrius Clemons. The NCAA changed the rules around duplicate numbers in 2020.
Only two players per team will be allowed to wear numbers that are also being worn by a teammate. They must play different positions and can't be on the field at the same time. Because of this change the NCAA also made the number 0 a legal number for players to wear.
In previous years teams had to simply make sure two players with the same number were not on the field at the same time. With this change, Sainristil would not be allowed to play offense while wearing the number 0 because Darrius Clemons wears that number.
Sainristil and coaches have entertained the idea all offseason that with the change to corner he could still play offense as well as special teams in the fall. Something to keep an eye on as we head to summer camp.
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