Michigan Football: Daxton Hill snubbed as midseason All-American

ESPN recently put out its midseason All-American team and while Michigan football had one player make it, the Wolverines should have two. 

Michigan football is off to its first 6-0 start since the 2016 season and one reason for that has been the play of the Wolverines defense.

Michigan currently ranks ninth in the country in scoring defense at just 15.5 points per game, and in the last three games, U-M has forced three turnovers.

One reason for all the success on that side of the ball is defensive end, Aidan Hutchinson. He’s one of, if not the best pass rusher in the country, and when ESPN put out its midseason All-American team, Hutchinson made the cut — deservedly so. Here’s what 247 sports wrote about his season so far:

"“Aidan Hutchinson is a first-round lock next season, but first, he wants to continue leading a spirited Michigan defense which is carrying the unbeaten Wolverines this fall. Michigan is one of three unbeatens remaining in the Big Ten Conference and a fierce front seven fueled by Hutchinson’s tenacity up front is the headliner. Like most dominant pass rushers before him, Hutchinson is often chipped or double-teamed in an attempt to soften his aggression. Sometimes it works, but often it does not as a backfield monster.”"

Hutchinson has been living in the opponents’ backfield and he deserved to make the list. He should be a First-Team All-American. But you know what, Daxton Hill should be too.

Daxton Hill was snubbed as ESPN midseason All-American

ESPN made two solid choices at safety — Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton and Penn State’s Jaquan Brisker, who has two interceptions, three passes defended, and 25 tackles.

But Hill also has two interceptions, picking off passes on the road against Wisconsin and Nebraska. He also has four passes defended and a half-sack which knocked Graham Mertz out of the game against Wisconsin.

And Hill isn’t just a safety. He plays nickel and sometimes even corner on the outside, as he did on Nebraska’s fourth-down play on its final drive last week. Hill was in man coverage and made the play to seal the win for the Wolverines.

Hill has also been dominant in the run game and on the perimeter when teams try to bubble screen. He’s basically eliminated that play as Jabrill Peppers used to.

The former five-star recruit runs a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash and he’s just as comfortable playing corner as safety. Few players in the country can do that, plus blitz and play in the box.

For my money, he’s going to be a first-round pick if he enters the 2022 NFL draft and he should have been selected as a midseason All-American too.