Michigan Football: 3 Studs and 3 Duds against Rutgers

Giles Jackson

The sophomore speedster appears on our Studs list for the second week in a row after returning a kickoff for a touchdown and securing four catches for 50 yards through the air. Jackson remains the Wolverines’ most dynamic playmaker on both offense and special teams for Michigan.

Whenever Michigan football is desperate for an explosive play, they always seem to turn to the California native to give a spark. While he isn’t Michigan’s best receiver — or maybe even the second best — he has a specific skillset that should be maximized each game in a variety of ways.

Whether it’s rushing or receiving, Jackson needs to have the ball in his hands more. He has proven many times that he is a threat to take it to the house each and every time he touches the football.

Chris Hinton

The Wolverines finally found a semblance of interior pass rush on Saturday and that was largely due to the former 5-star continuing to improve. Hinton had his best game of his young career and finished as Michigan’s highest graded defender according to Pro Football Focus.

The sophomore 300 pounder notched his first career sack and had five total pressures on Saturday night as well. In a season where the pass rush has been nonexistent ever since the opener, Hinton provided a much needed boost and got the Wolverines off the field in some key situations by collapsing the pocket.

The defensive coaching staff will hope to build on Hinton’s success against Rutgers and parlay that into a true breakout down the stretch. As the season already seems lost, having an eye on 2021 is important and Hinton’s progression will go a long way in determining Michigan’s competitiveness during the remaining schedule and, perhaps more importantly, the team’s ceiling for next year.