Aidan Hutchinson deserves spot on Michigan Football’s Mount Rushmore

Aidan Hutchinson finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy race, but who cares? He is still one of the greatest Michigan football players ever. 

When you look back at the history of Michigan football, you will find many great players. But few have been as great as Aidan Hutchinson.

In taking second to Alabama’s Bryce Young, Hutchinson did make some history. He became the first all-defensive player at Michigan to earn a Heisman invite.

He also bested every other Michigan Heisman invite except Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard since 1982, including Jim Harbaugh who finished third back in 1986.

And Harbaugh was right when he said Hutchinson would be the first pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He should be. But another place where Aidan Hutchinson belongs is on the Mount Rushmore of Michigan football players.

Aidan Hutchinson is one of the most significant Michigan players ever

Hutchinson will be forever synonymous with the 2021 Michigan football team that ended the losing streak to Ohio State and the 17-year drought without a Big Ten championship.

None of that would have happened without Hutchinson. In every big game this season, he was at his best, and can you imagine how things might have been different if he wasn’t robbed of that defensive touchdown against Michigan State?

The only difference for Michigan would be the No. 1 ranking instead of No. 2. But for Hutchinson, that could have made him a factor in the Heisman race much earlier, and then his Ohio State game wouldn’t have been an introduction. It would have been more of a closing argument.

Either way, Hutchinson proved that he is unquestionably the best player of the Jim Harbaugh era. Jabrill Peppers was great. But his team didn’t beat Ohio State.

And in some ways, it always felt like Peppers impact was a little overrated. He made a lot of wow plays and a lot of plays he never got credit for. But he didn’t have the impact Hutchinson did.

Aidan Hutchinson took over games at times this season. Just look at the Big Ten championship game. He only had one sack but he forced numerous incompletions on his own. There is no defender in college football like him.

In the three games down the stretch that decided the Big Ten championship — Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa — Hutchinson had 18 tackles, seven sacks, seven tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.

Hutchinson was simply unstoppable against Ohio State and he will haunt C.J. Stroud’s nightmares for some time. He certainly ended any hopes Stroud had of winning the Heisman by sacking him three times in the Big House.

Michigan football has an incredible history which includes three Heisman winners (don’t forget Tom Harmon) but Aidan Hutchinson is one of the four best Wolverines of all time and if there ever was a Michigan Mount Rushmore — he’d have to be on it.