Aidan Hutchinson came closer to Heisman Trophy than any defensive player in a decade

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson didn’t win the Heisman Trophy but he came closer than any defensive player in a decade.

Defensive players just don’t win the Heisman Trophy.

Charles Woodson was the last one to do it in 1997 and even he had returning duties and part-time work on offense to help put him over the top.

So while Aidan Hutchinson might be disappointed to not win the statue, he can take heart in knowing he came closer than most who play on his side of the ball exclusively.

Aidan Hutchinson finished in second place in Heisman Trophy voting

In fact, Hutchinson’s 954 total points were the most for a defensive player since Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o in 2012, per Adam Silverstein of CBS Sports.

Last year, no defender in college football received a Heisman vote. Chase Young got 643 points and 20 first-place votes in 2019.

Alabama’s Quinnen Williams had 27 points in 2018. Georgia’s Roquan Smith got 38 in 2017. The 2016 vote featured 208 points for Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers and 132 for Alabama’s Jonathan Allen. In 2014, Scooby Wright from Arizona got 21 points.

When Te’o scored 1,706 points, he lost to Johnny Manziel by just 323 points.

Going back to Woodson’s victory, only Te’o has scored more points in the Heisman voting than Hutchinson picked up this year.

Hutchinson got close but he’ll have to watch and wait with the rest of the college football world to see when a defensive player will finally breakthrough. Maybe it’ll be Will Anderson, Alabama’s sophomore linebacker who received 325 total points and 31 first-place votes, more than finalists Kenny Pickett, and C.J. Stroud.

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