Aidan Hutchinson Named a Heisman Finalist
In a selection that went from longshot to fait accompli in approximately four weeks, Aidan Hutchinson was officially announced as a finalist for the 2021 Heisman Trophy on Monday:
Hutchinson will be joined in New York by Alabama QB Bryce Young, Ohio State QB CJ Stroud, and Pitt QB Kenny Pickett. Young is the overwhelming favorite to win the award on the heels of a 461 total yard, 4 TD performance against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Stroud was the betting favorite until late in the season… but then Aidan Hutchinson happened.
The Heisman Trust has been naming finalists since 1982. Hutchinson is Michigan’s sixth finalist, joining Jim Harbaugh (’86), Desmond Howard (’91), Charles Woodson (’97), Chris Perry (’03), and Jabrill Peppers (’16). Hutchinson is the fifth defensive lineman to be named as a finalist, joining Steve Emtman (‘91), Warren Sapp (‘94), Ndamukong Suh (‘09), and Chase Young, (‘19). No defensive lineman has finished in the Top 3 in Heisman voting since Pitt DE Hugh Green in 1980 (and yes, Suh finishing 4th behind Mark Ingram, Toby Gerhart, and Colt McCoy remains an insult to gigantic men everywhere). Also, one little-known fact: only one defensive player has ever won the Heisman.
The trophy will be handed out — ostensibly to the Most Outstanding Player in College Football — on December 11th. There is no content after the jump.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:28 PM ^
The Heisman is a QB award. I think our WR Garrett Wilson should have been a finalist.
December 6th, 2021 at 10:15 PM ^
Garrett Wilson? He may or may not be the best WR in the country, but his stats don't stand out--your top three receivers are bunched up. Wilson has fewer receptions and fewer yards per catch than Smith-Njigba, and fewer touchdowns than Olave.
Wilson was also only an average punt returner (5.7 yards per return). Like it or not, returns for touchdowns are candy to Heisman voters, and for a guy like Wilson with great but not eye-popping stats that would have been his best path to the Heisman.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
Not making any predictions or assumptions, but it would be so richly hilarious if Young won the Heisman, because he will, because the award is a joke. . . but then Michigan plays Alabama for the natty and Hutchinson eats his soul.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:09 PM ^
Let O-ja-bo! have a couple bites of that soul, too.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:54 PM ^
We are Defense U. What other school has had 3 defensive players join the Heisman ceremony?
December 6th, 2021 at 7:58 PM ^
Walker not getting an invite is crazy to me - Stroud and Young just feel like guys who are given the fastest car in the race and manage not to crash it. They're talented but most guys would look good throwing to a bunch of first-round WRs and having 5* backs around them.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:06 PM ^
Heisman voters love recency and they also weight it by what the team accomplishes. In a parallel universe where Walker plays every game exactly the same, but the schedule is different so that he runs all over us in the last game of the season, and let's say MSU wins the Big Ten... he definitely gets nominated. Maybe even wins it. But his biggest game against a big opponent (us) was a month ago, and then he got punked by OSU and stayed home on Championship Weekend.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:14 PM ^
I was just about to type recency bias, or as sports pundits call it, finishing strong. It played to our favor with Woodson and Desmond's "hello Heisman" moment. I think Desmond would have gotten it regardless, Woodson not without the punt return (even with an M win).
December 6th, 2021 at 8:20 PM ^
That's absolutely a factor but I also think voters just like QBs the most because they always touch the ball and you can squint and convince yourself they're the most "integral" to a team's success.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:33 PM ^
Remember a kid name Joe Burrow who won the heisman at LSU? He had some good receivers. A few weeks ago someone said that Bryce Young deserves to win the Heisman over CJ Stroud because Young doesn't have the receivers that Stroud has. It must have been someone in the SEC who said that.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:51 PM ^
Burrow at least put up some crazy numbers - 60 TDs, 6 picks, 75% completion percentage, 5700 yards, etc. And LSU just ran roughshod over college football - undefeated and only 3 games within 1 score. Even if you throw out the bowl games we're still looking at 48 TDs, 6 picks, 4900 yards, just bonkers numbers. I think college voters just have this need to fill multiple QB-shaped holes with QBs on their ballots and so they'll force it to happen even if they can't realistically justify it.
December 7th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
There is a valid reason for this having morphed into a quarterback contest...there is no other position that approaches this level of difficulty-not even close. That said, what Aidan brings to this table justifies the consideration he is being given-one heck of a football player and a terrific young man of high character.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:06 PM ^
Not sure which year they actually had people show up at DAC in NYC, but Rick Leach was 3rd in 1978 - if they had a ceremony "live" to announce, I would have imagine he would have been invited.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:10 PM ^
He's not getting it, but fuck it he should get it. Let the snub fuel your hatred Aidan.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
870 media members vote for the Heisman.
No one in Ohio will vote for Hutchinson.
No one in SEC country will vote against the Alabama guy.
Just so proud that he got invited.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:46 PM ^
Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson are from Ohio. I bet they voted for AH.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:14 PM ^
Paul Hornung, 1956, on a 2-8 NDp team
December 6th, 2021 at 8:25 PM ^
Best player in the country!
December 6th, 2021 at 8:31 PM ^
Very hard for a defensive guy to win it, but it's awesome he's a finalist and icing that he probably prevented Stroud from getting it.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:36 PM ^
Even if OSU had won the game two weeks ago, Bryce Young's performance at the end of the Auburn game and in the SEC title game sealed the deal for him to get the award on Saturday.
December 6th, 2021 at 9:20 PM ^
He flat-out earned it on the biggest stages. He was the reason Alabama won those games. Even with all of the other 5-star talent, they would have lost without him.
December 6th, 2021 at 9:03 PM ^
Historically speaking, a defensive player being a finalist might be more impressive than a QB who wins it.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:38 PM ^
Well deserved and Go Blue!!
December 6th, 2021 at 8:48 PM ^
First of all, Hugh Green deserved the Heisman in 1980.
Second of all, Sparty fans on Twitter are SALTY...even Steven Threet is apparently throwing the shade back.
Congrats to Hutch...the best players do it in the biggest games
December 6th, 2021 at 9:02 PM ^
Herschel Walker who was a freshman at Georgia should've won.
December 6th, 2021 at 9:43 PM ^
George Rogers (who we played against) won it...I'd make a case for Herschel in 1980 but Green had the better case, IMO
December 6th, 2021 at 8:52 PM ^
It's weird to only talk about the Trust and finalists - because then you didn't mention a number of Michigan winners. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Heisman_Trophy_winners for example.
December 6th, 2021 at 8:58 PM ^
Lol and no Walker, Spartan fans are saltyyyyy.
December 6th, 2021 at 9:07 PM ^
Decent chance this is the second time in 13 years that an Alabama skill player will (undeservedly) win against an absolute wrecking ball of a pass-rusher.
Finishing 2nd would put him in elite company for a defense-only player (Hugh Green and Manti Te'o). And he didn't even have to conjure a dead girlfriend as his "Heisman moment"
December 6th, 2021 at 9:17 PM ^
CJ Stroud wishes they would have invited a top O-Line player to sit between him and Hutchinson.
December 6th, 2021 at 10:22 PM ^
As long as it's not one of those OSU tackles.
December 7th, 2021 at 12:16 AM ^
NFL only.
December 6th, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
Go get 'em Aidan. It would be pretty rad if he won it. Or even Kenny Pickett. Another anonymous Alabama player from Saban's roster of robots would be boring as hell. It's a fairly slow year for the Heisman and the award has been kind of broken for a while. A win for Hutchinson would restore some of the glory.
Suh should've won but also Gerhart was really great that season and - IIRC - literally had better numbers than Ingram and they played the same position.
December 6th, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
N/A -[doubled/sorry]
December 6th, 2021 at 9:36 PM ^
Awesome!
December 6th, 2021 at 9:55 PM ^
Way to go Hutch!!! Congrats!!!!
December 6th, 2021 at 10:11 PM ^
The best college football player this year is Aidan Hutchinson. Well done Aidan !
December 6th, 2021 at 10:27 PM ^
You mentioned a "little known fact" in this article.
Some other little known facts:
- Mike MacDonald is only 34
- John Beilein was never an assistant coach.
December 6th, 2021 at 11:30 PM ^
Stroud wants no part of Hutch. He's already sweating that meeting in NY. PTSD will be witnessed on live tv.
December 6th, 2021 at 11:40 PM ^
Sparty should be mad at Mel Tucker for running him like 5 times against OSU. That is the #1 reason that Walker is not going to NY. Rookie mistake abandoning the run so early given their identity. Obviously they would have lost anyway but it sure wouldn't have been 49-0 at the half.
December 7th, 2021 at 12:58 AM ^
They won’t but they need to factor in that Bryce Young is playing on a Bama team filled with top recruits. If you stick Donovan Edwards in as QB at Bama he would have better stats. Give Hutch the Heisman!
December 7th, 2021 at 2:32 AM ^
Bad take. Walker deserved a nod guys
December 7th, 2021 at 2:11 PM ^
Valenti is going off about a grand conspiracy about Hutchinson being a Heisman finalist. Same guy who did shows about UM having zero talent going into the year. The same Hutchinson who is the odds on favorite to be the number one draft pick.
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