Exit Chris Hinton to the NFL
This one is out of the blue:
next chapter pic.twitter.com/iHgRw87Mnv
— Christopher Hinton (@Thechrishinton) January 5, 2022
While Hinton was a borderline five-star as a recruit, his grading here and to Pro Football Focus were in line with a decent Big Ten starter, not an early NFL entry. He had two years of eligibility remaining after playing three years at Michigan. That third year was a doozy, however. Hinton improved dramatically over the last offseason after showing merely flashes of the touted recruit in his first two campaigns. That emergence played a major role in the team’s success this season that was every bit as surprising as this decision.
It’s possible that position coach Shaun Nua’s departure had something to do with this, but the far more likely explanation is Hinton is the son of an NFL player, was a Top-50 recruit out of Georgia three years ago, and always wanted to get to the League as soon as possible. A strong finish to the 2021 season probably pushed his draft grade not far from the floor of expectations if he came back for another year and didn’t get injured. That his declaration is surprising doesn’t make it a bad choice, and it's clearly one he didn't make without better advice than fans are capable of providing. We also don’t know what kind of feedback he’s gotten from NFL teams, which are always in need of athletic 300-pounders.
While Hinton’s assumed return along with classmate Mazi Smith was a big part of our hopeful talk for next season’s defensive interior, Michigan is no longer as bereft of options at DT as they were when Smith and Hinton arrived. Hinton’s surprise departure opens the door to shared backup Donovan Jeter’s return for a 6th year. Walk-ons Jess Speight and Joey George could also opt to return for their 6th and 5th seasons, respectfully, after giving the Wolverines good snaps last year and before.
More likely Michigan and its new DL coach will turn to the cupboard that Nua restocked, wherein someone should be quite ready to make an impact. Kris Jenkins contributed this year ahead of schedule, Julius Welschof developed into a weird but functional DE/DT, and touted recruit Rayshaun Benny could sophomore leap his way into heavy playing time next year after showing more flashes than a young Hinton in a redshirted freshman campaign. Michigan also added George Rooks last year, and a potential immediate-impact guy in Mason Graham this cycle.
In good news, this announcement pushes last night’s basketball game off the front page of MGoBlog. So there’s that.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:21 PM ^
Love the silver lining at the end of the post, Seth.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:22 PM ^
Surprising but also not that surprising. His dad was an all-pro lineman and so should be able to give his son good advice as well, and I can see how a hot close to 2021 would push him to make the move. Ojabo went from "intriguing" to "first round NFL pick" this year, and so it shouldn't be a surprise guys would be enticed to make a move. Hopefully Smith comes back but I wish all of these guys good luck in the NFL. Because it's a net positive for UM to put guys in the NFL and watch them succeed.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:45 PM ^
Yeah, very disappointing but not super surprising. I went into this offseason pretty much only caring about what Hinton and Smith do (because everyone else seems either a given or mostly replaceable). Both are probably late round picks right now so could go, but both could potentially drastically improve their draft stock. So could go either way.
I would have hoped that seeing what Ojabo did might enitce guys that are merely intriguing (which is all Hinton is to the NFL) to stay and try to make a similar leap. Given rookie contracts in the NFL, it's probably worth it.
But given how critical DT is, that's the position that is so so high leverage for Michigan right now.
Damn.
We need to back up the NIL truck for Mazi.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:08 PM ^
The "son of an NFL all-pro lineman" with decent tape and measurables will get him drafted, probably Day 2 as someone gets enamored with his "potential".
January 5th, 2022 at 5:33 PM ^
To his credit he was getting some chatter in the preseason as well, so it's not completely out of the blue. He's a mid round guy but that was probably his ceiling anyway. He's not that crazy athlete at DT that gets you into the first round.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:23 PM ^
Oh for fuck's sake
Good luck to him.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
Will get downvoted but this looks like a 6th round draft pick at best. Understand DTs don't put up mad stats but don't see him impacting games much.
Naquan Jones was better and more effective than Hinton in college and was UDFA. Jacob Slade was better this year and I don't see him running off to be a 3rd day pick.
January 5th, 2022 at 6:25 PM ^
Mike Martin was 3rd Round and didn’t stick for very long. Everyone in the NFL is a monster so yeah, a solid P5 starter is basically a Day 3 pick or UDFA. Essentially a camp invitation with a high likelihood of getting released unless the franchise has serious depth issues.
That said, beating OSU is really going out on a high note and his stock doesn’t have much to gain from another season, so it’s kind of now or never for him.
January 5th, 2022 at 6:44 PM ^
Agreed. Can't and won't judge someone's ambition and especially their motive to make money. But the small fan part of the brain says come back and get better.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
I’m going with not great.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:36 PM ^
This is a bummer. This really seems like a situation where I would expect him to blow up next year and be a lock to be drafted in 2023. He's definitely not a lock right now and with no minor leagues the NFL doesn't have a lot of roster space for developing players. I hope he catches on and sticks in the NFL, bummer for us he won't be part of the next great Michigan team.
Let's hope Mazi sticks around to develop for another year. I think he's a much better prospect.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:37 PM ^
No mention of Ike ?
January 5th, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
Ike and Grant are nose tackles. Hinton was playing the off-tackle position; Mazi was at nose, with Jeter backing him up, and then Speight.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:38 PM ^
Wish the kid very, very well. That said, this is a headscratcher. He and Smith were tracking towards a serious breakout.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:38 PM ^
rigatoni baloney
January 6th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
Let's hope the Rayshaun Benny buzz is real. And Brian seems to think Mason Graham can play as a freshman. Let's hope. Portal help out there?
January 5th, 2022 at 4:41 PM ^
We were all concerned that the defense would be complete shit this year with an unproven coordinator and a lot of unproven pieces. I obviously want Hinton to stay, and wonder why he wouldn’t considering he has more blowing up to do, but I expect the coaches to get the best out of the guys who will be on the team next year.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:42 PM ^
His Twitter feed for the last month has been non-stop re-postings of other players' 'going pro' tweets, so yeah he was foreshadowing.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:45 PM ^
Doesn't seem like the best move considering how much he could have improved his draft stock (in theory) but he has knowledgeable people around him so tough to question the decision too much.
It also might be a case where Hinton sees how talented guys like Jenkins and Benny are and isn't 100% positive he is going to be a surefire starter if he stays.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:14 PM ^
It's sort of weird when guys who aren't superstars leave. Hinton has some big plays here and there, but didn't really stand out very often. (Of course Hutchinson and Ojabo pull a lot of focus.) As a fan you want to see a 5* have a Maurice Hurst type of season where he is crushing people constantly. Felt like he might get that type of season next year had he stayed. That said he seems like a solid kid and was big contributor. Wish him well in the pros. He will be missed.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:46 PM ^
In good news, this announcement pushes last night’s basketball game off the front page of MGoBlog. So there’s that.
Always look on the bright side of life.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:56 PM ^
I don't understand this line.
" touted recruit Rayshaun Benny could sophomore leap his way into heavy playing time next year after showing more flashes than a young Hinton in a redshirted freshman campaign"
Benny barely played this year and I don't think I've heard anyone mention him flashing in his very few snaps and neither Hinton or Benny has had a redshirt freshman year. I am hopeful for Benny next year, but I am struggling to understand this sentence.
January 5th, 2022 at 7:02 PM ^
Hinton's freshman year was pretty bad. I was trying to say that without getting into how bad.
Benny had some wow moments this season even if they were in garbage time. Benny's season was redshirted--he didn't get to play much--but after Hinton's freshman year we were urging patience after too few trials, while after Benny's freshman year we're trying to contain excitement based on too few trials.
January 5th, 2022 at 9:24 PM ^
Fair enough. You certainly watch in a lot more detail than I do. My main memory of Hinton's freshman year was that he got real snaps against OSU and seemed not totally lost where I don't remember any of Benny's plays this year. I'm all for you being right.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:58 PM ^
I can only assume Aidan's post is going to be quite the farewell if is getting passed by Hinton's.
January 5th, 2022 at 7:04 PM ^
We already assumed Aidan was leaving; I wasn't planning on writing a short announcement for that. More likely he will get a full feature article to commemorate his career.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:10 PM ^
I fear the poor defensive recruiting is going to rear its ugly head next year.
January 6th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^
Poor defensive recruiting?. The data you are using to make this statement or links to it please. Thank you
January 5th, 2022 at 5:18 PM ^
Well if nothing else he finally played to expectations this year. Wish he would have stayed around another year, but if he can get drafted it'll make room for other guys to emerge on the DL. Let's hope the next coaching hire is a good one.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:22 PM ^
I unironically endorse Brady Hoke for the job, as long as he’s not allowed within 10 yards of non-DL players or the defensive playbook.
January 5th, 2022 at 7:06 PM ^
If he hadn't already washed out at a major power 5 head coaching job he'd be in line for one after SDSU's season.
January 5th, 2022 at 7:39 PM ^
Even if someone like Indiana or Purdue came knocking, I think Hoke would be wise to stay put at SDSU. It seems as long as he does decently well there, he has a home. There are far worse places to live than San Diego. He did well this year; he seems happy; he also looks good after losing some excess weight. More power to him.
January 5th, 2022 at 10:53 PM ^
I completely agree with this, including the caveats. I would be happy to see him in this role -- and only this role.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:34 PM ^
Bleh. Why can't we just have good news for a while for once.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:49 PM ^
I thought guys whose dads played in the NFL and hence had a comfortable lifestyle and money were the ones who were supposed to stay longer as they are not desperate to salvage their family's situation at home.
I don't get the comment: "the far more likely explanation is Hinton is the son of an NFL player, was a Top-50 recruit out of Georgia three years ago, and always wanted to get to the League as soon as possible. "
This just says "dad did it so I have to do it". Hutch comes from a comfortable background with a dad in the NFL and didn't go down this path. Anyhow on to the next.
January 5th, 2022 at 7:42 PM ^
Was writing fast and trying to distill a lot into a few sentences. You're talking about different families. In general the kids of NFL parents don't stick around longer but they're under less pressure to immediately make money and thus make good Michigan recruiting targets. Beilein did the same thing, but GR3 and TH2 both went pro earlier than fans wanted them to. The kids (or in Dax Hill's case, the brother) of pros aren't going to have their lives changed if a Georgia booster is willing to sell them a $400k house in Athens for $190k and take care of the bills, and that helps Michigan recruit them in the first place versus kids who need to go wherever can promise the most money.
But if your dad's life was shaped by a long pro career, I think it's natural to have your mind there and seize the opportunity to get there as soon as it's in your grasp.
Chris Hinton (Sr) went 4th overall in the NFL Draft out of Northwestern. The Hinton parents are certainly True Blue--I have seem them around Michigan Stadium every game since Christopher (Jr) got here. They're very vocal, talk to national reporters all the time. They are hyper-involved in their sons' lives. But Hinton's dad is more like Glenn Robinson Jr. or Tim Hardaway Sr. in that the pros shaped him most deeply. He used football to come from poverty to the kind of wealth where you can own a vacation home in Ann Arbor, and Northwestern was his four-year vehicle to the NFL. He was part of the first class recruited by Dennis Green, who came there after coaching at Stanford under Bill Walsh with Jack Harbaugh, so there was already a connection. Hinton then went to the NFL and played for 13 years, mostly for the Colts. The Hintons talk about the NFL all the time. He's in the Colts Ring of Honor, next to Jim Harbaugh, though they were never teammates (Jim was with the Bears then). But they knew each other, and it was that relationship with Harbaugh, one of Hinton's connections from the NFL, that got Michigan in the door. No doubt getting to the NFL, establishing himself as a professional, was a major value instilled in Christopher.
Chris Hutchinson signed with the Browns as a free agent. He got an infection from a tetanus shot and left the league within a year. Michigan helped him enroll in their medical school, and he became an emergency room doctor. He makes a good living, lives in a pretty nice Plymouth subdivision, and is, you know, one of The Guys who make up the local football alumni. Aidan grew up around all the Michigan guys of the late Bo/Moeller era. He's played inside Art Vuolo's house with the walls of Michigan game recordings going back to the early 1900s. The family was a fixture at Michigan games, and Michigan events, and would regularly give quotes to Dr. Sap and Greg Dooley. Whoever was the coach at Michigan would have gotten in the door when it came time to recruit Aidan.
I think we're all shaped deeply by our experiences, and trust the people who've been part of the community we're a part of, and instill in our kids a desire to become part of that same community. I think there are a lot of similarities between Chris Hutchinson and Chris Hinton, and between their sons who played together at Michigan. But if you're wondering which was more likely to produce a son who put off the NFL to play another year at Michigan, there's no question it's the father whose world was shaped by Michigan, not the guy whose world was shaped by the NFL.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:11 AM ^
+1 Informative!
January 5th, 2022 at 6:13 PM ^
This one hurts, but if anyone knows the NFL calculus it has to be an NFL vet’s kid. Seems a full year of high quality play would enhance his draft status, but I suppose if he tests well, it won’t matter.
January 5th, 2022 at 6:13 PM ^
A lot of the ones leaving aren’t in the rotation and probably wouldn’t be next year. This is one of those that hurts the roster for next year. I hope the rest of the ones leaving aren’t of the surprise variety like this one
January 5th, 2022 at 6:20 PM ^
I don’t think this is a good move. He really needs one more year in college to continue to develop. I know he wants to play in the league but it will still be there in a year with much better money for him after a huge season. Good luck to him though I hope it works out
January 5th, 2022 at 7:26 PM ^
One factor that sometimes comes into play when a player decides to go early, is if they accomplished what they wanted to do in college. I'm sure all of Michigan's players believe they can win it all, but I also think most of them are realistic enough to look at how dominant Ohio State/Alabama/Clemson/Georgia have been, and conclude that for the next few years, making it to the playoffs is most likely as good as it gets. Then combine that with not just beating, but dominating the Buckeyes. Unless a player is obsessed with MSU, I think that for a lot of the young men facing this decision, this year might have checked a lot of the items on their 'what I want to accomplish in a Michigan uniform' list.
Another thing that such a great season can do is get a player to over-rate himself. The optimism and euphoria swirling around the program can have an impact on a player's general state of mind, which can cause him to look at the 'glass half full' side of any weaknesses or doubts he might have.
From what I gather reading the other comments, it seems like these concerns probably didn't factor into Hinton's decision; but give the slew of early departures, one or both might have been a factor in some.
Edit for typo.
January 5th, 2022 at 8:31 PM ^
I could be wrong but I believe Seth mentioned this as a possibility in a season preview post, bc I am pretty sure I made a snarky comment like lol sure dude whatev. Welp, good call Seth!
January 5th, 2022 at 8:54 PM ^
More than most players I'm confident Hinton is getting good, non-self interested advice, with an NFL vet for a father.
No shady uncles whispering in this guy's ear, so he's had the correct input to make an informed decision.
That being said, he could certainly have potentially greatly increased his draft stock with another year. Not a 1st Team All-American or anything in '21, haven't seen him mocked in round 1 - but, a damn good player for Michigan tho!
Good luck & go get em Wolverine!
January 5th, 2022 at 11:37 PM ^
What exactly is Hinton’s current draft stock? Not too high, obviously, since the surprise about this decision seems pretty much unanimous. I’m interested to know who’s advising him or whether this was something he came up with on his own. I wish him luck, but this seems closer to Higdon opting out of a bowl game to protect an NFL career that never saw him carry the ball in an actual game than a wise decision.
January 6th, 2022 at 1:14 AM ^
Go big blue. Good luck young man
January 6th, 2022 at 10:04 AM ^
Insiders saying this obviously came as a shock considering he received a 7th round! grade. Don’t get this at all.
January 7th, 2022 at 1:06 AM ^
Was hoping he would stay around, but good luck to Chris!
He was another guy, like Dax, that bucked the status quo, and instead of doing what was expected (go to Georgia) he decided to come north.
So happy that he was a part of Michigan's B1G title...first title since 2004.
Team 142 will be remembered for a long time
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