Predicting Michigan football’s annual award winners: Team MVP, more

Michigan football won’t hold an awards banquet for the public again this year, but head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff will still give out awards. Here are our choices for the best of the best, top skill position players, etc.

Our picks, followed by predictions of how it will play out and runners-up:

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Michigan football season superlatives

Bo Schembechler Michigan Most Valuable Player

Aidan Hutchinson, OLB/DE. The Heisman runner-up notched 15.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks despite being held, double-teamed and cut, adding 12 quarterback hurries. He also notched countless pressures and finished third on the team with 58 tackles. 

He’s almost assuredly a top three NFL Draft pick, and probably No. 1 overall.

Prediction: Hutchinson in a landslide. 

Our runner-up: Running back Hassan Haskins. His play in big games won’t soon be forgotten.

Richard Katcher Award (top Michigan DL/OLB)

Aidan Hutchinson. He should win this one, too, after his dominant season. 

Prediction: Hutchinson 

Our runner-up: David Ojabo. The Michigan redshirt sophomore defensive end notched 11 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, forced five fumbles and added eight quarterback hurries. 

Roger Zatkoff Award (top Michigan linebacker)

Josh Ross. The redshirt junior recorded 8.5 tackles for loss among his team-leading 95 tackles. The latter was 30 more than sophomore Daxton Hill’s 65. He also added eight quarterback hurries in his best season as a Wolverine.

Prediction: Ross

Our runner-up: Junior Colson. The Michigan true freshman notched 30 tackles and three quarterback hurries and became a key part of the Big Ten’s best defense. 

Defensive player of the year

Aidan Hutchinson. See above. He was also the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Prediction: Hutchinson

Our runner-up: Ross. He has his limitations, especially in coverage, but he was the rock in the middle of the defense this year.

Special teams player of the year

Jake Moody. The Lou Groza Award winner (nation’s top kicker) was 22-for-24 on field goals, outstanding on kickoffs and perfect on extra points in a storybook season.

Prediction: Moody

Our runner-up: Brad Robbins. The veteran punter averaged 46.4 yards per boot. Opponents fair caught 19 of his punts and he put 17 inside the 20.

Offensive skill player of the year

Hassan Haskins. The fourth year running back carried the team (and several would-be tacklers) on his back all year on the way to 1,288 yards. He lost only six yards all year on his runs. 

Haskins’ pass blocking skills were incredible, and he scored a season-record 20 touchdowns from the position. He’ll be missed. 

Prediction: Haskins 

Our runner-up: Cade McNamara. The redshirt freshman quarterback didn’t put up huge numbers, but he ran the offense beautifully. The result — 12-1, a Big Ten title and a playoff berth.

Defensive skill player of the year

Daxton Hill. The Michigan safety/nickel was beaten at times and still has another gear, but he finished second on the team with 65 tackles. He added two interceptions, seven pass break-ups and four quarterback hurries in an outstanding season. 

Prediction: Hill

Our runner-up: Brad Hawkins. The fifth-year senior safety did it with little fanfare, but he was as key to the defense’s turnaround as anyone.

Most improved players of the year

Defense: Vincent Gray. The redshirt sophomore earned third-team All-Big Ten honors after notching 41 tackles and seven pass break-ups. His one-year turnaround was incredible.

Prediction: Chris Hinton

Our runners-up: DJ Turner, Chris Hinton. Turner, the Michigan second-year corner, became a huge part of an improved secondary when he moved into the starting lineup halfway through the season.

Hinton was a question mark this spring but developed into everything you’re looking for from an interior lineman.

Offense: Blake Corum. The second-year Michigan running back averaged 6.7 yards per carry and will have a shot at a 1,000-yard season. He’s at 939 with 11 touchdowns despite missing two games. He carried 26 times for 76 yards a year ago.

Prediction: Erick All. The tight end notched 374 yards and two scores and only dropped a few balls, coming a long way in that area. He also improved as a blocker. 

Our runner-up: All

Special Teams: Caden Kolesar. He was a key part of both kick and punt coverage teams that were outstanding all year.  Kicker Jake Moody will get special teams player of the year, leaving room for Kolesar here.

Prediction: Kolesar

Our runner-up: Jake Moody. He went from maligned question mark to Lou Groza Award winner.

Ufer Spirit Award

Ronnie Bell. The junior wide receiver blew out his knee in game one but provided critical guidance from the sidelines. 

Prediction: Andrew Vastardis. The former Michigan walk-on struggled through back injuries and returned for a sixth year to turn the program around. His passion and love for the university is as good as it gets. 

Our runner-up: Vastardis

Hugh H. Rader Award (top Michigan offensive lineman)

Andrew Vastardis, Andrew Stueber. The two stalwarts enjoyed incredible seasons in their final years. Stueber gave up a couple pressures all season in pass protection, while Vastardis was one of the two best centers in the conference.

Prediction: Vastardis and Stueber

Our runner-up: Zak Zinter. The freshman right guard is a future All-American. He played through injury to bolster the right side of the line.

Toughest player of the year

Trevor Keegan. The Michigan left guard played through a shoulder injury to fight for his teammates, getting better on a weekly basis.

Prediction: Keegan

Our runner-up. Zinter. He toughed it out with a bad hand. 

Michigan Blue collar player of the year

Mazi Smith. The redshirt freshman interior lineman lived up to the hype as an interior run stopper. The run defense was infinitely better this season because of his play.

Prediction: Brad Hawkins. The fifth-year senior did everything asked of him and more in essentially quarterbacking the back end of the defense. 

Our runner-up: Hawkins. He could easily be No. 1 on this list, as well. 

Rookie of the year 

Offense: Donovan Edwards. The frosh showed flashes of brilliance, especially as a pass catcher against Maryland. He notched a record 170 yards that game from the running back position. 

The Michigan native is a future star. 

Prediction: Edwards

Our runner-up: Andrel Anthony. The Michigan receiver’s 100-yard game against Michigan State was a sign of things to come. 

Defense: Junior Colson. His play in the middle solidified the defense. He’ll be a run stopping force the next few years. 

Prediction: Colson

Ou runner-up: Rod Moore. The frosh safety was a huge part of the secondary’s resurgence in the second half of the season.

Scout team players of the year

Offense: Louis Hansen. The Michigan freshman tight end was scout team play of the week on offense a number of times. Mono sidelined him late in the year.

Prediction: Hansen

Defense: Rayshaun Benny. The frosh defensive tackle showed in his limited action vs. Iowa how good he can be. He moves extremely well at his size and brings it every day.

Prediction: Benny