[jwplayer 29FpEPdC-XNcErKyb]
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A tough season just got tougher, as Michigan loses one of its key players as well as a team captain due to injury.
On Saturday in the loss to Indiana, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went down early in the game, but walked off under his own power. He never returned, and now, for the 2020 season, it looks like the ‘salt’ component of the ‘salt and pepper’ duo will be out indefinitely.
Jim Harbaugh updated his status on Monday afternoon:
“Aidan is gonna require surgery to his leg,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a fracture.”
As far as Hutchinson’s mentality, Harbaugh knows that he’ll return stronger as a result. Naturally, though, it’s still a disappointment to see such a beacon on this team to be felled by such a devastating injury.
“I’m very — everything, he’s worked so hard, he’s put so much into it,” Harbaugh said. “Playing really good. But I know he’ll come back stronger, faster, better. That’s just the way he is — he’s so high drive, this is not something that’s gonna be a detriment to his career. He’s young, he’ll heal fast. He’ll come back even better, stronger and faster.”
As for now, Michigan will continue to use Luiji Vilain, Taylor Upshaw and Gabe Newburg in replacement of Hutchinson, as it did in the game at Indiana this past Saturday.