The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1265378
12 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Hutchinson was ranked as the Big Ten's best NFL prospect off the edge in Pro Football Focus' posi- tional draft rankings, which were updated June 11. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Aidan Hutchinson Checks In As Fourth-Best Edge Defender In Early 2021 NFL Draft Rankings On June 11, Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its top five 2021 NFL Draft prospects at every position heading into the 2020 college football season, and junior Aidan Hutchinson made the list as the outlet's fourth-best edge defender. "Hutchinson is a power end at 6-foot-6, 278 pounds, and he has a little outside/inside versa- tility to his game," PFF analyst Michael Renner wrote. "He's a line-of-scrimmage mover in the run game and an exceptional hands fighter as a pass rusher. "He gave [former Iowa Hawkeyes offensive tackle, and the No. 13 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020] Tristan Wirfs more fits than any other edge in the country and notched seven pressures against Iowa. He was a sopho- more last season and racked up 46 pressures and 28 run stops." Despite playing in all 13 games as a freshman in 2018, Hutchinson made a minimal impact by only compiling 15 tackles and no sacks. He then stepped into the starting lineup in 2019 and, in addition to PFF's previously mentioned numbers, accumulated 68 stops, 10 tackles be- hind the line of scrimmage and 4.5 quarterback takedowns. The three edge defenders PFF had rated higher than Hutchinson were (in order): Miami's Greg- ory Rousseau, Wake Forest's Carlos Basham and Duke's Chris Rumph. — Austin Fox Nico Collins And Ronnie Bell On Pace To Become One Of U-M's Top Receiving Duos Of The Past Decade Junior Ronnie Bell and senior Nico Collins led Michigan in receiving yards last year with 758 and 729, respectively. Their combined total of 1,487 receiving yards checked in as the fourth most among U-M's top receiving tandems over the last 10 years. Collins and Bell will be expected to top their 2019 statistics next season, and could realistically move into second place on the list and become the best receiving tandem head coach Jim Harbaugh has had in Ann Arbor. The pair would each have to pull in 1,060.5 yards in 2020 if they hope to match the top duo on the list, however, with Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess tallying a combined 2,121 yards in 2013. Gallon's school-record 1,373 yards that year made up 64.7 percent of that total. The best statistical receiving pair Harbaugh has had during his five years at U-M was Amara Darboh and tight end Jake Butt in 2016, when the two of them totaled 1,608 yards. The second-best duo was Darboh and Jehu Chesson in 2015, when they racked up 1,491 yards. It's feasible for both Collins and Bell to approach 1,000 yards in 2020 when considering the way the Maize and Blue's passing attack clicked by the end of last season under offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Michigan placed a heavier emphasis on throwing the ball over the club's final four games, averag- ing 322 passing yards from the Nov. 16 blowout of Michigan State through the Citrus Bowl loss to Alabama. Collins averaged 72.5 yards per game during that span, after tallying 54.8 through the first eight contests (he missed the Oct. 12 win at Illinois with injury). Bell, on the other hand, hauled in 71.7 yards per contest from Nov. 16 through Jan. 1, after reel- ing in just 51.1 through the first nine outings. If Collins picks up where he left off and averages 72.5 yards per tilt in 2020, he'll conclude the year with 942.5 yards. If Bell continues at the clip of 71.7 he tallied during the final four outings of 2019, he'd cap off 2020 with 932.1 yards. The tandem's combined total would sit at 1,874.6 yards if that sce- nario were to occur, which would be good for the second-best mark of the last 10 years. — Austin Fox Collins (above) with 729 receiving yards combined with Bell's team-leading 758 yards to record the Wolverines' fourth-best yardage total by its top two receivers over the past 10 years. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL MICHIGAN'S TOP RECEIVING TANDEMS OF THE LAST 10 YEARS Year Players Combined Receiving Yards 2019 Nico Collins/Ronnie Bell 1,487 2018 Nico Collins/Donovan Peoples-Jones 1,244 2017 Zach Gentry/Grant Perry 610 2016 Jake Butt/Amara Darboh 1,608 2015 Jehu Chesson/Amara Darboh 1,491 2014 Amara Darboh/Devin Funchess 1,206 2013 Devin Funchess/Jeremy Gallon 2,121 2012 Jeremy Gallon/Roy Roundtree 1,409 2011 Junior Hemingway/Roy Roundtree 1,152 2010 Roy Roundtree/Darryl Stonum 1,568