What they're saying about Aidan Hutchinson after signature performance vs. Ohio State

Michigan football fourth-year pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson returned to Ann Arbor for unfinished business in 2021. While he has not fully collected – there is a Big Ten Championship to play for – a dominant performance vs. Ohio State and huge season have thrown him into the conversation for the Heisman and No. 1 overall pick.

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Hutchinson’s three-sack performance on Saturday put his total to 13, an all-time Michigan record. He can add to that with at least two more games to play in. His draft stock in 2021 has been steady, but showing up in the biggest moments has him pushing Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux for top pick honors. This could also put him in the running to stay close to home with the local Detroit Lions, the clear leaders for the top-overall selection.

Here’s a sampling of takes from across the media landscape.

Pro Football Network: Aidan Hutchinson has Heisman moment for Michigan

When we talk about the Heisman Trophy, we often use the phrase “Heisman moment.” A player can be impressive throughout a season, but there is usually a game, a play, something that defines and elevates them above all others. Among the snow and emotion of college football’s biggest rivalry, the Michigan defensive end had that moment.

There could not be a more apt description for Aidan Hutchinson, for he has been impressive all season long. The duo of Hutchinson and David Ojabo has become the most disruptive and destructive in the nation. Yet, yesterday was something else. It was domination on the biggest stage, in the biggest moment, that yielded the biggest result as the Wolverines booked a place in the Big Ten Championship Game and made a bid for the College Football Playoff.

Draft Wire: It’s time to start talking about Aidan Hutchinson at No. 1 overall

Hutchinson has dominated just about every offensive tackle that has dared line up across from him this season, saving perhaps his most impressive performance for the biggest stage of the year so far. In Saturday’s 42-27 win over Ohio State (Michigan’s first victory over their most bitter rival in eight years), Hutchinson bagged three sacks, setting a new single-season school record with 13 sacks in 2021.

He’s still got at least two more games to go, so that record number is likely to go even higher before Hutchinson makes the jump to the pros.

Speaking of the NFL ranks, it won’t be surprising if whoever ends up with the No. 1 overall pick (sure looks like it’ll be the still-winless Detroit Lions) still opts for Thibodeaux, thanks to his rare blend of size, athleticism and explosiveness. But it’s also possible that the Lions who whoever else will look at Hutchinson and see the kind of complete defender with polished technique and a nonstop motor who is also worthy of the top spot.

Detroit Free Press: Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux? Detroit Lions’ options with No. 1 NFL draft pick

Scouting report: Hutchinson isn’t quite the athlete Thibodeaux is, but he’s way more than just a try-hard guy. Hutchinson has a relentless motor and an extremely high floor, and in a season where there isn’t a runaway No. 1, that may be enough to swing the pick in his favor. He can play defensive end or outside linebacker, and he’s a superior run defender to Thibodeaux, though his refined pass rushing skills are why he’s in the “1-1” mix. Hutchinson seems like a Dan Campbell-type. If he doesn’t go at the top of the draft, he won’t slide far.

Chance of being a Lion at No. 1: 35%

The Draft Network’s Joe Marino has the Michigan pass rusher as his newest No. 1 pick

The Detroit Lions are once again in the early stages of rebuilding and the priority has to be about maximizing the value of their assets by landing cornerstone-type players at premium positions. While there isn’t a quarterback worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Lions are in good shape to add an impact defensive player to build the defense around.

Aidan Hutchinson has been the most dominant defensive player in college football this season and is trending toward being one of the first players off the board next April. He is a scheme-versatile technician that brings elite power and athleticism to the table. He has the upside to become one of the most dynamic defensive playmakers in the entire NFL.

CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson also lists Hutchinson as the pick to Detroit

Hutchinson is a great example of a player who got better each and every season, and instead of coming out early he stayed in school, balled out as a senior, and made himself into arguably the best player — on either side of the ball — in the country during the ’21 college football season. The exclamation point came in Saturday’s three-sack performance against Ohio State.

Hutchinson’s next spotlight game comes when Michigan football takes on Iowa this Saturday. The kickoff for the Big Ten Championship Game is set for 8 p.m. from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.