Analyst: Aidan Hutchinson Is 'The Best Player In College Football' So Far
Michigan Wolverines football junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was one of 24 players to land on ESPN.com's midseason All-America team, but now he's received even more praise, with PFF analyst Anthony Treash naming him the top defensive lineman and overall defensive player through the first half of the season.
Hutchinson has accumulated 24 tackles, six stops for loss, 5.5 sacks (ninth nationally), three quarterback hurries and one forced fumble, leading a Wolverines' defense that ranks ninth nationally in scoring defense (15.5 points per game) and 23rd in total defense (310 yards per contest).
"The term 'unblockable' is often thrown around loosely, but it certainly applies with Hutchinson," Treash raved. "He is the only player in the country who has earned a spot on PFF's Team of the Week three times this season and already has multiple elite performances on his grading profile.
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"Hutchinson has recorded a 92.6 PFF grade through the first half of the 2021 season, the highest mark among all FBS edge defenders. His 32.4 percent pass rush win rate is on pace to break the Power 5 record in the PFF College era by multiple percentage points."
He's also posted elite PFF marks in pass rush (92.1), run defense (86.2). and tackling (82.4), while generating 30 pressures (five hits and 20 hurries), according to the analytics site.
Per Sports Info Solutions, 3.5 of Hutchinson's Big Ten-leading 5.5 sacks have come with the Wolverines rushing four or less players, not blitzing. That shows that even when all the attention (double teams, tight ends chipping, etc.) is on him, he's been able to deliver.
Performing at that high of a level and having that much of an impact on Michigan's defense has led Treash to take things one step further, crowning Hutchinson as the top player in the country so far.
"Hutchinson's power, hand placement and get-off make him a force to be reckoned with and someone few tackles in the country can handle," Treash wrote. "He isn't just the best edge defender in the country; he is the best player in all of college football through the first half of the year."
A projected first-round 2022 NFL Draft pick, Hutchinson has registered 115 tackles, 16.5 stops for loss and 9.5 sacks for his career.
The Wolverines have a bye this Saturday, before returning to action Oct. 23 against Northwestern Hutchinson still has marquee games at Michigan State Oct. 30, at Penn State Nov. 13 and against Ohio State Nov. 27 to further prove his prowess to the country.
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