Michigan's Chris Hinton Has 'Learned A Lot,' And He's 'Ready To Show It'
Many of Michigan football's players and coaches were excited to put the pads back on last Thursday for the first full-contact practice. Put sophomore defensive end Chris Hinton in that category.
"I’m really excited, really amped up, just to get back to playing football, for real," Hinton told host Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio show Monday night. "... It’s nice to put the pads on and get popping again, you know?"
During the extended offseason, the Wolverines were able to have team meetings virtually, and Hinton, like others, stated that he believes that helped prepare them, mentally, for the season.
"I felt like I capitalized on that point in time," Hinton said of the period in which U-M's players were not allowed on campus. "Going home, I was able to just dive into the playbook a lot, really know the playbook like the back of my hand and also dive into opposing teams’ offenses and tendencies and things like that, pre-snap indicators, things like that.
"That just helped me with my confidence a lot — being able to play faster, being able to be confident in my technique. I felt more comfortable being back here and playing, so I’m excited for the season."
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He's also now doing everything at U-M for the second time, something head coach Jim Harbaugh often points to when discussing the leap a player can make from their freshman year to their sophomore campaign. Hinton is much more confident in his abilities this year, which is a plus for the Wolverines, since he's the odds on favorite to land the starting job at the three-technique.
"Personally for me, it’s like night and day," Hinton explained. "This year, coming back from quarantine, I just feel so much more comfortable on the field, off the field, more confident on the field, off the field.
"Just that freshman year, coming to a new area, new state, a new situation, it can take some time to adjust ... but now I feel like I’ve adjusted. So I’m ready to rock and roll."
Hinton played in 12 games as a freshman, including making a start in the VRBO Citrus Bowl against Alabama Jan. 1. His role grew as the season went on, and he showed flashes of why he was a five-star recruit out of high school, notching nine tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, in 129 defensive snaps on the year.
Last season being a developmental year for Hinton has now prepared him for a role as a prominent force for coordinator Don Brown's defense in 2020.
"You learn a lot," Hinton said of being a freshman. "You learn to take baby steps, that’s one thing. Every day, you just try to get better at one thing, because it’s not a spring, it’s a marathon.
"You have to just take every day, day by day, get better, learn more every day. I learned a lot, and I’m ready to show it this year."
Hinton wouldn't reveal his personal goals for the upcoming season, but he did point to one thing he wants to obtain — the trust of his coaches and teammates to be in the game and make plays.
"I have some set goals, but mainly I want to be a reliable source on the inside for this defense," he said. "I want to be a trustworthy defensive lineman, I want to make plays in the backfield, make sacks, get pressures and be an influence for this defense.
"Making plays, that gets me going. I love to be in situations to make plays, to make changes in the game. That really gets me going. Big hits, sacks, all of the big plays, that really gets me going."
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