The Wolverine

April 2017

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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52 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2017   COMMITMENT PROFILE Dearborn (Mich.) Divine C h i l d t h re e - s t a r w e a k - side defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, a second team USA Today All-USA Michi- gan selection on defense last fall after recording 68 tackles with 11 sacks and a Detroit News Division 3 All- State offensive lineman in 2016, didn't appear to be overly close to a commit- ment when February was coming to a close, but that changed in a hurry after back-to-back visits to Mid- western powers. "I visited Notre Dame on Monday [Feb. 20] and then visited Michigan the next day [Feb. 21]," Hutchinson explained. "I really wanted to visit Notre Dame to see what else was out there, but after the Notre Dame visit I knew that Michigan was the place. "I came into the Michigan visit knowing that I was going to commit there, and then it happened. That's pretty much how it went." The draw to Ann Arbor was al- ways strong for Hutchinson. His fa- ther, Chris, was a defensive tackle at Michigan from 1988-92 and earned All-America honors in his final sea- son, his mother also attended U-M and his sister is a student there now. From the day he picked up his Michigan offer he seemed like a lock to wear the winged helmet, but Hutchinson said he genuinely did keep an open mind throughout the process. "I really did give other schools a shot," he said. "Michigan was always up there for me obviously, but I really wasn't 100 percent sure because I had only seen a couple other colleges. I wasn't really aware of what else was out there. "That's why I took the visits I took. I saw the schools that kept showing interest in me, and once I saw those schools I was assured that Michigan was the right place for me." The connection that Hutchinson has formed with Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison is arguably the biggest reason the junior com- mitted to Michigan when he did. Hutchinson almost couldn't put into words how he feels about Mattison. "Wow," he started and then paused. "Coach Matti- son is quite the coach, and I have an unique relationship with him. It's something else when we get my family together with him and his wife. It is a great time. "He's a great recruiter in my eyes. Ever since day one, he and Michigan have been texting and DMing me. They are the one school that stayed consistent with their interest in me no mat- ter what. He's done an in- credible job recruiting me, and he's a big part of why I committed." Hutchinson mentioned his unique relationship with Mattison, and it is definitely that. The veteran coach was actually his dad's position coach for one year in Ann Arbor, making for a very interesting dy- namic between father, son and coach. "My dad was a fifth-year senior, so he was one of the top dogs at Michi- gan, and Mattison was coming there in his first year. They had a very unique relationship while they were both there," Hutchinson said. Rivals.com lists Hutchinson at 6-4 and 227 pounds, but he's closer to 6-6 and 245 pounds. Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt sees a lot of upside in Hutchinson and thinks he's just scratching the surface. "I was surprised with how much of a physical leap he took," Helmholdt said. "If he's playing at 245 pounds right now, I would expect him to be north of 270 pounds in college pretty easily. "That depends on how Michigan wants to utilize him. If they wanted to bulk him up to play inside he could probably play close to 300 pounds. Otherwise, if he stays at the five technique, then I see him be- tween 270-280 pounds and retaining that athleticism." Hutchinson's commitment is No. 3 in Michigan's 2018 class, which was ranked No. 27 nationally as of March 13. — Brandon Brown FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Aidan Hutchinson's overall length and athleticism are very appar- ent. He's got long arms and legs and is still filling out through his core. He has a great frame to add a lot more weight, and he's starting to look thicker and stron- ger through his arms and shoulders. He runs well for a lengthy defensive end prospect. His first step is quick, and he uses those long limbs to keep offensive lineman off of him. Areas Of Improvement: Even with the physical development that has taken place over the course of his junior year, Hutchinson still needs to fill out and get stronger. As a tall player, he'll also need to play lower more consistently. Michigan Player Comparison: Hutchinson looks like a blend of Brennan Beyer and Matt Godin. He's not quite as hulking as Godin, but he is bigger than Beyer with a similar frame. Hutchinson appears to have more athleticism than both and could end up being a Godin-sized athletic Beyer-like pass rusher. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com Hutchinson — whose father, Chris, was a defensive tackle at U-M from 1988-92 — is listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 14 player in Michigan by Rivals. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Aidan Hutchinson Couldn't Ignore The Family Legacy

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