2021 Orange Bowl odds, spread: Michigan defensive star Daxton Hill likely out vs. Georgia in national semifinal

Without question, the most important defensive player on the second-ranked Michigan football team is defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and currently a -120 betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Arguably the second-most important player on that excellent unit is safety Daxton Hill, and he didn't travel with the Wolverines to Miami and is in jeopardy of missing Friday's Orange Bowl national semifinal vs. No. 3 Georgia, which is -7.5 at Caesars Sportsbook.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh left open the possibility that Hill could join the team in time for Friday's game, adding that his status is questionable: "He's working through something right now," Harbaugh said during Thursday's news conference. "We'll know more today whether he'll be able to play."

The junior was named first-team All-Big Ten this year by the league's coaches and twice shared Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He has 65 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, four quarterback hits, a fumble recovery and a half-sack.

The CBS Sports Big Board ranks the 6-foot, 190-pounder as the No. 25 overall prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Mel Kiper Jr. ranks him as the No. 2 safety prospect, although Hill also lined up at cornerback.

Pro Football Focus wrote this: "Hill may be the only player who can challenge (Derek) Stingley's status as the top athlete in the class. Hill put those traits into action while primarily covering in the slot in his 2021 true junior campaign, earning a 78.5 coverage grade overall this season. Specifically in the slot, Hill has seven forced incompletions and nine passing stops, ranking second and seventh in the FBS."

Out of Tulsa, Okla., Hill is the highest-ranked recruit currently on the Michigan roster as sister site 247Sports ranked him as the No. 1 safety in the Class of 2019 and the No. 14 overall prospect. Hill is the younger brother of Ravens running back Justice Hill.

One piece of good news for Michigan is that freshman running Blake Corum says he is full healthy for Friday's game. He was dealing with an ankle injury late in the year that saw him miss Michigan's game against Penn State and limit him against Ohio State and Iowa. Corum rushed for 939 yards and 11 scores on just 141 carries this year and is a 1B to Hassan Haskins. 

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