Wolverine Digest

Roar of approval: Former Michigan star named preseason NFL DPOY by fan vote

Seth Berry|
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) in the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) in the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Former Michigan Wolverine and now NFL-star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson returns to the Detroit Lions this season fully healthy after he missed most of 2024 after suffering a broken leg early on against the Dallas Cowboys. Being Hutchinson missed a lot of time, it's clear football fans are eager to see him back on the field and still regard him as one of the top defensive players in the league.

In a recent fan vote conducted by Fox Sports, Hutchinson was voted at the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. All reports have indicated that the former Wolverine is fully healthy and has been dominating and camp up to this point, so it's certainly not unreasonable to think Hutchinson can fully return to form and help the Lions compete for a Super Bowl in 2025.

Before getting injured last season, Hutchinson was on a torrid pace and recorded 7.5 sacks through just five games in 2024, with 19 total tackles and seven for loss. In his three-year career in Detroit, Hutchinson has 28.5 sacks, 122 tackles and 30 tackles for loss. In 2022 in his rookie season, Hutchinson finished second in the Rookie Defensive Player of the Year voting. In 2023, Hutchinson earned his first Pro Bowl selection after putting up 11.5 sacks, 51 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 33 QB hits.

In four years at Michigan, Hutchinson recorded 159 total tackles, 18.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 10 passes defended. He broke out in a huge way in a Maize and Blue uniform during his senior season in 2021 on his way to 14 sacks, 62 tackles and 17 tackles for loss. His performance earned him a second place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting, along with being named a Consensus All-American for the 2021 season.

The Lions open its 2025 season on Sunday, Sept. 7 against the Green Bay Packers on the road for a 4:25 p.m. EST kickoff.

Aidan
Detroit Lions Edge Aidan Hutchinson walks off the field during the joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at the Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park, Thursday, Aug. 14 2025 | Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Seth Berry
SETH BERRY

Seth began writing on Michigan athletics in 2015 and has remained in the U-M media space ever since, which includes stops at Maize N Brew and Rivals before coming onto Michigan On SI in June of 2025. Seth has covered various angles of Michigan football and basketball, including recruiting, overall team coverage and feature/analysis stories relating to the Wolverines. His passion for Michigan sports and desire to tell stories led him to the sports journalism world. He is a 2020 graduate of Western Michigan University and is the former sports editor of the Western Herald, WMU's student newspaper.

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