The Wolverine

February 2013

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  commitment profile Arbor. He also had a couple friendly voices in his ear steering the Ohio native to "That School Up North." "Education was a big part of it," Dawson explained. "That opened my eyes a lot. Also the players and coaches, and Mike [McCray] had a big influence and my dad. My pops wanted me to go as soon as I got the offer, but I wanted to wait and see my other options and talk to some other people before I made my decision." Although he is ranked as just a three-star prospect and the No.  53 senior prospect overall in the state of Ohio, Dawson has plenty of potential in the defensive backfield. His blend of size and athleticism really intrigued the U-M coaching staff. "They were preaching to me about my length and my speed," Dawson said. "There are not a lot of tall cor- ners out there. They said that they liked my length, and the DB coach [Curt Mallory] and I were going over stuff that I need to work on. We looked at all of that, but mainly my length and the way I use my body, like my long arms to get a jam on bigger and shorter receivers." Trotwood has made it to three consecutive Division 2 state championship games, winning when Dawson was a junior. Tasting both the sweetness of victory and the bitterness of defeat has given him the drive to experience only the former in his college career. "That just makes me want to work even that much harder, because I know what it's like to lose," he said. "I know both sides of it, and I don't like the feeling. I'm going to take a successful, hard-working attitude to Michigan to see how far it goes." ❑ Film Evaluation Strengths: Dawson's size and athleticism give him the potential to lock down bigger, taller receivers. He can turn and run with opposing players and has the leaping ability to knock the ball away. He shows good instincts against both the run and the pass. He is a battletested cornerback as well, since teams often chose to test him instead of his secondary partner, Ohio State-bound four-star Cameron Burrows. Areas of Improvement: Dawson's frame is one with plenty of potential, but he'll have to work hard in the weight room to reach it. He likely won't see the field before reaching 180 pounds, and his wiry build will require plenty of hard work to get there. Michigan Player Comparison: James Rogers (2007-10) came to Michigan as a wide receiver, but bounced back and forth between offense and defense during his career. Had he stuck with one position — cornerback — throughout, he could have spent more than one year (his final, in 2010) as the best defensive back on the U-M squad. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com

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