Michigan Football: Aidan Hutchinson has look of starting defensive end

Michigan football has a deep and talented defensive front but one player that has continued to stand out is defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

August is an interesting time of year for college football fans and for the followers of Michigan football, it’s no different.

Preseason polls, predictions, conjecture and practice reports, as well as rumors,  dominate the first few weeks of August each year as the college football universe prepares for another season, which kicks off in earnest at the end of the month.

For Michigan football, that first game comes Aug. 31 when Middle Tennessee State will come to the Big House and while the Wolverines hope that just about every player dressed gets to see time against the Blue Raiders, it’s not clear yet who the starters will be.

Of course, the term starter is becoming more and more fluid in football, whether it’s high school, college or pro. Josh Uche might be Michigan’s best overall defender this season or at least one of them and there are games where he may not technically be a “starter.”

The same could be said for whoever the nickel ends up being, whether it’s Brad Hawkins, Daxton Hill or someone else. But just because they don’t appear as part of the starting lineup announcements, doesn’t mean they won’t play a huge role in the game that day.

However, one guy that should be starting in every game this season is Aidan Hutchinson, a sophomore defensive end who continues to show improvement.

The player that Michigan football lists at 6-foot-6 and 278 pounds, played in seven games a season ago, recording 12 tackles and a tackle for loss. Yet, his overall impact was even greater than that, especially when it came to setting the edge against the run.

If the Wolverines were looking for a guy that could fill Rashan Gary‘s shoes, at least in the role he played as a six technique, taking on blockers, Hutchinson is the perfect candidate. His strength and long arms make it tough for him to get sealed and even if he doesn’t get to the quarterback as a pass rusher, he can attempt to disrupt throwing lanes.

But according to Steve Lorenz of The Michigan Insider ($), Hutchinson has also worked hard to improve his athleticism. Here is what Lorenz had to say:

"Biggest takeaway I’ve gotten after reaching out to a few sources is that Aidan Hutchinson has picked up where he left off this spring. One source told me that he’s ‘stronger and faster’ than he was in the spring. A breakout of some kind seems imminent here. Worth noting that he did work out with the TB12 team earlier this summer."

I am not sure if it was the TB12 workouts but it sounds like Hutchinson has impressed in camp. He was already in line to start at defensive end after a solid spring and now he looks to have that position locked down.

However, if he wants to play as many snaps as someone like Gary or Chase Winovich, he will have to be more than just a run stuffer. His ability to hold up in the run game is huge but with other talented edge rushers like Kwity Paye, Uche and Mike Danna itching for an opportunity, Hutchinson will have to earn his.

Two years ago, at the Army All-American game, Hutchinson notched two sacks, so he has shown potential before. Now, it just needs to translate over to game action this fall. If it does, Hutchinson could play as many snaps as anyone along the defensive line.

But even if he struggles to produce as a pass rusher, his ability to defend the run will cement his role on the defensive line for another season.