On Monday evening, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson announced he will return for his senior season in 2021 after missing most of the 2020 season with a right leg fracture.
“Not quite done yet — I’ve decided to forego the NFL and return for my senior year,” Hutchinson wrote in a post on his Twitter account.
As a sophomore in 2019, Hutchinson was a key member of Michigan’s pass rush that recorded 2.5 sacks per game. He finished the season with 3.5 sacks, 10.0 tackles for loss and 69 total tackles.
Carrying an expectation that he would be one of the Wolverines’ best defensive players in 2020, Hutchinson started the season strong with six tackles and a pass breakup in Michigan’s season-opening 49-24 win over Minnesota. Against Michigan State the next week, Hutchinson suffered a right leg fracture that forced him to undergo season-ending surgery.
Without Hutchinson, the Wolverines’ pass rush struggled, at one point going 10 quarters without a sack. On the season, they managed just 1.5 sacks per game — 106th in the country. As Michigan hopes to bounce back from its 2-4 finish next season, Hutchinson will be its main pass rushing threat after senior Kwity Paye’s graduation.
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