Michigan defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson’s season is likely over.
Almost everything that could’ve gone wrong has gone wrong for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. The Wolverines stand at just 1-2 with losses to a poor Michigan State and a program in Indiana that hasn’t defeated Michigan since 1987, and they were just dealt the painful news that one of their best defensive players has been lost for the season.
Aidan Hutchinson has likely played his last down of football in 2020 with the future NFL lineman needing surgery on his leg following a serious fracture.
Jim Harbaugh says DE Aidan Hutchinson suffered a fracture in his leg that will require surgery.
— Austin Meek (@byAustinMeek) November 9, 2020
Aidan Hutchinson was getting buzz as a first-round pick before his injury
Hutchinson first burst on the scene last year with 68 tackles and 4.5 sacks while moving all around Don Brown’s defensive line. That unit was figured to be the strength of Michigan’s defense this year with Hutchinson and pass-rusher extraordinaire Kwity Paye having the chance to play themselves into the first round of the NFL Draft. Hutchinson had 13 tackles in the first two games of the season, but he likely won’t get a chance to add to that total for the remainder of the year.
While Hutchinson will hear his name called whenever he decides to declare for the draft joining a likely first-round selection in Paye on Day 1 seems unlikely given the athleticism concerns and his medical history. In the immediate future, a struggling defense will lose one of their best and more experienced linemen.
Redshirt sophomore Taylor Upshaw will be tasked with replacing Hutchinson in the starting lineup. He has three tackles, one for loss, in two games this season.
Unless either Joe Milton and the offense kick things into high gear soon or Brown’s defense returns to the elite level we’ve seen in the past, the Wolverines might be on the verge of a calamitous season. Hopefully, Hutchinson shows enough to NFL scouts to overcome what will be a major mark against him.
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