College football award season is upon us and this time a couple of Michigan’s defensive stars were recognized.
.@mohurstjr is a FIRST TEAM All-American, via the Associated Press! Congrats, Mo!#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/54Ibr7SucT
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 11, 2017
This is the result of an incredibly productive senior year for Maurice Hurst who contributed 59 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks this year. This is extremely well-deserved for Mo, especially after he was feeling snubbed of the “Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year” award.
Where the big10 headquarters at?
— Maurice Hurst II (@mohurstjr) November 30, 2017
Nick Bosa: 28 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 47 QB pressures, 19 stops
Mo Hurst Jr: 58 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 46 QB pressures, 37 stops
Chase Winovich: 84 tackles, 17.0 TFL, 8.0 sacks, 49 QB pressures, 48 stops
Bosa was named 2017 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
— Max Cartwright (@Max__Headroom__) December 3, 2017
All in all, Hurst played outstanding all year and was a major positive for this program, whether or not he plays in the bowl game. He was also named a consensus first-team all-defense selection by Big Ten coaches and media personnel in November.
And @_Dbush11 has been named a Third Team All-American on the @AP Team! Way to go, DB! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/DkHMnHmWs5
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 11, 2017
Devin Bush Jr. enjoyed himself a fantastic year as well, leading Michigan with 89 tackles, 10.5 of which were for a loss. Bush was one of six Wolverines, along with Hurst, to log at least five sacks and double-digit tackles for loss of yards this season. The sophomore Bush was named a Butkus Award finalist and also a Big Ten all-defense honoree, like his teammate up front.
Although the offense may have been frustrating to watch all season, Hurst and Bush were consistently fun to watch. Congrats to both of these guys on an outstanding year!
– BONUS CONTENT –
The Michigan football program has been in the news for a multitude of reasons since the season ended.
There was the wave of transfers that occurred just days after the season-ending loss to Ohio State at home. Not long after that, the school was linked to Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson, who had been reportedly seeking to transfer after the school’s recent recruiting scandal within the athletic department.
Generally with any story, where this is smoke, there is fire. That old adage applied with the “Patterson to Michigan” rumors. After much speculation and build-up, the former 5-star high school recruit has made a decision.
