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Aidan Hutchinson No. 1, David Ojabo rises in Mel Kiper's latest Big Board

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•12/08/21•

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aidan-hutchinson
Michigan football's Aidan Hutchinson is Mel Kiper's new No. 1 overall player. (Photo by Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan football rode its pair of star pass-rushers in Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo to a Big Ten Championship this season. As a result, the eyes of the professional ranks are squarely on them.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released an updated Big Board on Wednesday, where he made Hutchinson the new No. 1 player in the 2022 NFL Draft class after a dominant end to Michigan’s season. The Wolverine captain set a program record with 14 sacks this season (and counting).

RELATED: Checking in on Michigan football’s NFL Draft prospects after Big Ten Championship

Here is his reasoning for making the switch:

Yes, Hutchinson makes the leap to the top of my Big Board. He has been unreal down the stretch and is now a Heisman Trophy finalist. Since I last updated my rankings, he has doubled his sack total. He now has 14 and two forced fumbles, showing powerful moves and relentless pursuit of quarterbacks. Three of those sacks came in the win over Ohio State, as he dominated the Buckeyes’ O-line. Hutchinson played only 144 defensive snaps last season before he injured his leg against Indiana and had to have surgery; the Michigan defense cratered after he was hurt. He was outstanding as a sophomore in 2019, putting up 4.5 sacks and creating havoc in the backfield (10.5 total tackles for loss). It’s going to be a real battle between Hutchinson and Thibodeaux for the No. 1 pick.

Michigan has also seen a massive leap from third-year defender Ojabo, who has 11 sacks this season. Kiper now ranks him ninth overall in the class.

Ojabo has been one of the most impressive newcomers in the country. A third-year sophomore who spent his youth in Nigeria and Scotland (check out my new colleague Jordan Reid’s piece on him for more), Ojabo has 11 sacks and five forced fumbles playing on the other side of Aidan Hutchinson. He has flashed advanced pass-rush moves — check out this spin on the right tackle for a strip sack against Indiana — and his athletic traits pop on tape. While Ojabo needs to work on his all-around game, there’s a lot to like. He’s still young; he could develop into an elite edge rusher.

Michigan football’s next showcase of its dynamic duo comes on Dec. 31 in the Orange Bowl. The Wolverines and Georgia Bulldogs meet in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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