PFF released its list of the top 10 returning defensive linemen in college football, and Michigan Wolverines redshirt junior end Aidan Hutchinson checked in at fourth.
A captain as a junior, Hutchinson announced shortly after the Maize and Blue's 2020 season concluded that he would be forgoing the NFL Draft and returning for at least one more season. He missed the final three games of the campaign with a leg injury, and racked up just 15 tackles on the year.
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"Hutchinson played only three games in 2020 before suffering a season-ending injury, but the Wolverine seemed to be on his way to taking that next step forward on his mere 149 snaps (82.5 PFF grade)," PFF's Anthony Treash wrote. "With a clean bill of health, he is quite easily one of the best all-around defensive linemen in college football.
"The 6-foot-6, 269-pound defensive lineman is versatile, has incredible power behind his hands and is one of the more polished players you will find at the position. For proof, look at his 2019 outing against Iowa when he became one of the few to post wins against 2020 Super Bowl champion Tristan Wirfs.
"Hutchinson produced an 83.6 run-defense grade and 27 run stops along with a 76.0 pass-rush grade and 46 total pressures in 2019. Still, he never really put together a dominant performance from start to finish in 2019 like others on this list. Hutchinson was just consistently good throughout the year. We need to see more elite outings in 2021, and he easily has the potential to make good on that."
Hutchinson slotted in as the top-ranked defensive lineman in the Big Ten, as well, with only two other players from the conference making the list in Ohio State fifth-year senior defensive tackle Haskell Garrett (seventh) and Buckeye senior defensive end Tyreke Smith (10th).
The 2019 season was the one in which Hutchinson broke out, emerging as a full-time starter after backing up Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich as a freshman in 2018. In 13 starts during his sophomore year, Hutchinson registered 68 tackles, 10 stops for loss, 4.5 sacks, six passes defended and two forced fumbles.
While he won't have fellow bookend Kwity Paye, who's set to be drafted this April, on the other end of the line this coming season, redshirt junior Taylor Upshaw showed some promise in the shortened 2020 season while Hutchinson and Paye both missed some time. He notched 17 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble.
The complete list of the top 10 returning defensive linemen are below.
1. Nick Bonitto, Oklahoma
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
3. Demarvin Leal, Texas A&M
4. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
5. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
6. Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
7. Haskell Garrett, Ohio State
8. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
9. Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State
10. Tyreke Smith, Ohio State
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