Take Two: Is Christopher Hinton ready to live up to his potential?
Take Two returns with another offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
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THE STORYLINE
Christopher Hinton was listed as a defensive end for the majority of this recruiting cycle. There was some chatter he could be even better at offensive tackle.
But the Michigan signee from Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian showed up at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and completely dominated the entire week at defensive tackle.
That’s where he ended up in the final version of the 2019 rankings - and after losing his fifth-star earlier in the cycle, he was bounced back up to five-star status mainly based on his outstanding performances in San Antonio.
Hinton finished as the second-best defensive tackle in the class, behind only Alabama signee Antonio Alfano, who also had a dominant week at the All-American Bowl. Hinton is also No. 15 nationally, the highest ranking of any Michigan signee.
After moving up and down the rankings a little bit and finishing on the higher end, will Hinton live up to that ranking in Ann Arbor?
FIRST TAKE: BRANDON BROWN, THEWOLVERINE.COM
“The main reason Hinton’s ranking and rating seesawed a bit is because his position label also did down the stretch. For just about the entire recruiting cycle, Hinton was listed as a five-star strongside defensive end — mainly because he played on the edge in high school in a 3-4 defense. There were some questions about his burst and speed as an edge rusher, causing him to lose his fifth star ahead of the All-American Bowl.
“Then he showed up in San Antonio and lined up as a three-technique during the week of practices and dominated. He confirmed in an interview that he’d be playing solely on the interior and started being evaluated as a defensive tackle instead of a defensive end and ultimately got his fifth-star back and even moved up in the rankings. That slightly above- average burst as an edge rusher suddenly translated to elite quickness for a defensive tackle.
“Because of where he’ll play, he should perform as a five-star prospect at Michigan. He’s got versatility because of how he’s been used, but he should shine on the interior because of his combination of strength, size and athleticism.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“The jury is still out. Rashan Gary had an average career at Michigan, I would say, but Hinton’s much more talented coming out of high school. He went into San Antonio with a mission in mind. He wanted to prove he was a defensive lineman and an elite defensive lineman. There was so much talk of him being an offensive lineman and having a higher ceiling at that position.
“He was extremely determined. If he could take that determination and that motor and bring it to Michigan consistently and stay healthy, then he could be very, very good. I just worry a little bit when you see someone as talented as Gary. I wouldn’t say he was a disappointment at all, but he didn’t blow up the way we expected. In Don Brown’s system, it’s not just one guy. There are multiple defensive linemen who develop and have great seasons and careers. It will be interesting to see if Hinton can take that next step.”