Michigan Football: 5 Predictions for the Wolverines against Maryland

Paye and Hutchinson keep opening eyes

There is no doubt that in terms of raw talent, no one on the Michigan defense has as much as Rashan Gary does. He’s an all-world type of defender and even when he’s not making plays, he’s taking up so many blockers he still makes an impact.

However, he has been dealing with an injury and missed some time against Northwestern last week and is questionable to play against Maryland. With Wisconsin looming, you almost feel like Gary isn’t going to go for this game and with guys like Paye and Aidan Hutchinson backing him up, it’s hard to blame the coaches for not rushing Gary back.

Paye, a 6-4 sophomore, dominated last week in Gary’s absence, registering two sacks, as well as a tackle for loss. On the season, he has 3.5 tackles for loss and 10 tackles. Yet, in the last two weeks alone, he has seven solo stops after getting none in the first three games.

Hutchinson has also made more of an impact recently, getting two solo tackles and a tackle for loss against Nebraska, a game where he saw action in the first quarter. With Gary less than 100 percent, both should see extended snaps Saturday and if that’s the case, don’t be surprised to see one or both in the opponent’s backfield with regularity.