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Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson looks to become the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997.
He could also be the first Wolverine to win it since Woodson. Hutchinson was named as one of the finalists for the Heisman, and is the only defensive player in a group of quarterbacks.
Aidan Hutchinson was a freshman at Michigan in 2018, playing all 13 games, registering 15 tackles and zero sacks as a non-starter. He became a starter in 2019, and finished with 68 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
In 2020, Hutchinson was poised to become one of Michigan's best defenders and pass-rushers along with Kwity Paye. However, he suffered a season-ending fracture in his leg just a few games into the season, wrapping up 2020 with just 13 tackles.
Aidan Hutchinson 2021 College Football Stats and Records
In 2021, Aidan Hutchinson bounced back from his injury in a big way, basically becoming a Heisman finalist after this season alone. In 13 games, he had 55 total tackles, 14 sacks (second in nation) and two forced fumbles.
Hutchinson had three games with more than two sacks, and had one in the Big Ten Championship victory against Iowa. Aidan Hutchinson finished second behind only Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. in sacks (15.5). His 2021 sack total is a single-season school record, breaking David Bowens' record of 12 set in 1996.
It's rare for a defensive player to be a Heisman finalist in this era of the NCAA where quarterbacks dominate. Nevertheless, the Wolverines are in the College Football Playoffs for the first time, and are the #2 seed. They'll face #3 Georgia in the semi-finals.
Winning the Heisman could catapult Hutchinson over Kayvon Thibodeaux as the projected #1 overall pick. Winning a championship with Michigan before leaving for the NFL Draft sounds like a decent consolation prize to me.
The Heisman 2021 finalists will be in New York City this Saturday, where the winner will be determined.
