Christopher Hinton Jr. arrived in Ann Arbor with significant expectations.
His father, Christopher Hinton, was an All-American lineman at Northwestern who was drafted fourth overall and appeared in seven Pro Bowls in the NFL. The younger Hinton was a five-star recruit and the second highest-ranked prospect in Michigan's 2019 recruiting class.
It can take some time for freshmen to adjust to the difficulty and pace of the collegiate level, and Hinton was no exception. While he appeared in 12 games and made one start at defensive tackle, he recorded nine tackles with a half tackle for loss and mostly was used as a rotational piece.