Aidan Hutchinson Talks Michigan's Offseason Progression With Jon Jansen

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is anxious to take the field this fall, and he discussed that with former U-M tackle Jon Jansen on the Inside the Trenches podcast.

Jonathan Knight

While it has been a long time since Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has been on the field for the Wolverines, he has not stopped working and aiming to improve himself as a player.

Yesterday, Hutchinson caught up with former Michigan OL Jon Jansen to discuss how the tumultuous offseason has impacted him and what he thinks about U-M's outlook for this season. Here is what he had to say: 

On the long layoff: "Last time I hit someone was Alabama, and it's been way too long. We've all been waiting for this moment. The defensive line, we've all just been waiting so long to put these pads on, but we are so excited. Today, today is the day we put them on, and it should be pretty fun out there."

On how he dealt with the reality of potentially not having a 2020 season: "It did hit me. Just having that realization that you don't now when you're going to play football next, it's a crazy thing because how is there not a football season? It's the craziest thing. If you told me last year the season would be cancelled, I would say you're crazy. For a second thee, it was a scary moment where I thought, 'am I going to be putting on that Michigan jersey again?' And I didn't know. I was terrified, but we have the opportunity now."

On what it's like playing along other talented U-M defensive linemen: "Knowing that I have Kwity on the other side is amazing. For a second, I didn't think I'd be able to play with this D-Line, but now I've been given an opportunity. I have Kwity on the other side and I have Carlo [Kemp] and Chris [Hinton] on the inside. There's matchup nightmares all around, and I just can't wait."

On how he's prepared during the time off: "I've been watching a lot of NFL film lately. I think it's super helpful, more than you'll ever know. Having that matchup nightmare, and when they have to bring the tight end over, that just means a lot of guys are getting single-blocked. If they're bringing that tight end over to me and I'm getting double teamed, that means Kwity is probably single-blocked. It's really going to be scary once we get out there. When you double one of us, one of us is going to be single-blocked, and we're going to win that one-on-one."

On Michigan's advantages with Don Brown as a defensive coordinator: "Coach Brown is just so creative in all of his blitzes. Last year, I lined up anywhere from a zero [technique] to a nine [technique], so it's truly amazing experiencing that. Again, he's just super creative. We have some more stuff this year that you're going to look at and you're going to be like, 'what?' You're going to see it. It's going to be pretty chaotic."

On his relationship with fellow captain Carlo Kemp: "Me and Carlo really got good friends about my sophomore year, about spring ball. Our relationship is just so good. He's such a great leader, and I've learned so many things from him on and off the field. I'm just so grateful that I get to have him by my side this year for the season. He's just so good at what he does in terms of leadership, football, on the field, off the field. It's just great having him back."

On goals for this season: "I would just say to be the best player I can be. I have set a lot of high and lofty goals for myself that I know I can achieve and I will achieve this year, but at the end of the day as long as I'm giving my best effort and I know that I don't have any regrets, then I'm happy."

On the recent losses to Ohio State: "I watch that film a lot. We just have to execute better. It's tough, but all you can do is rebound. You can't dwell on it. If you dwell on it, it's just going to stick on you and hold you down. We are all just ready to attack them this year, and I can't wait until we get to play them." 

Overall, Michigan has a lot to play for this year, but the schedule does not do U-M any favors. Look for Hutchinson to be a team leader both on and off the field this fall.

What do you think will be the defining point for Michigan this season? Can Hutchinson help lead the team to a conference championship? Let us know!