The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2020 THE WOLVERINE 45 COMMITMENT PROFILE M ichigan is getting more size at the wide receiver position. The Wolverines once again dipped into California and earned a commit- ment from Rivals250 Santa Ana (Ca- lif.) Mater Dei wide receiver Cristian Dixon, who gave the Wolverines a verbal pledge in late June. "The situation is kind of perfect," Dixon said. "They don't really have big receivers. Coach [Josh] Gattis knows what it takes to put big receivers in the league and be successful at that level. That's a big part in what I want. It's just an overall good feel at Michigan." At 6-2, 185 pounds, Dixon has an excellent catch radius and isn't afraid to go up and get it in the red zone. How- ever, he has enough speed to stretch the field and is a deceptively quick route runner. Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis compared the four-star prospect to Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wide receiver Chris Godwin and one of the best pass catchers in col- lege football in Alabama's DeVonta Smith, a player Gattis recruited dur- ing his time with the Crimson Tide. "Coach Gattis sees me as a deep threat and being that big dude," Dixon explained. "All his dudes are shorter. He wants me to be a nuisance for defenses on the outside with my size. He thinks I'm a mixture of Chris Godwin and DeVonta Smith, and can develop into that type of player. "Coach Gattis is cool, and I love what it takes to be a winner." Dixon might be from the Los An- geles metro, but he actually trains in Houston and plays with nationally rec- ognized club seven-on-seven team Fast Houston under the guidance of elite skills trainer Ro Simon. Dixon has split time between Los Angeles and Houston this offsea- son and is continuing to develop under Simon. "I like his length," Simon said. "I like his speed. I like the way he changes direction. I think he's going to do really well at the next level. I'm really im- pressed with him. He's able to beat press and high point the football. "He's a big-play guy. He's a red- zone threat. He can be a possession guy. I like his game a lot." Dixon added that he hopes work- ing on his game down south will fur- ther help him hone his craft and pre- pare for more speed at the next level. "I noticed that these Texas kids are fast," Dixon said with a laugh. "Re- ally fast, actually. It's just great to come out to a different environment. I know southern players are known for being different, so I wanted to get a taste of that and up my game." Dixon committed to Michigan over offers from Auburn, Cal, LSU, Mi- ami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas A&M, USC, Washington State and a slew of other major programs. Dixon caught 35 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns as a junior and helped Mater Dei finish with a 12-1 record and No. 2 national rank- ing from MaxPreps. Dixon is ranked as the No. 32 wide receiver and No. 175 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.com. — EJ Holland Wide Receiving Corps Will Get Bigger And Better With Cristian Dixon FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Cristian Dixon is a big- bodied pass catcher that can be uti- lized as a possession receiver or a standard physical outside receiver. He has ideal height, but his length and catch radius is what makes him special. Dixon is a natural at com- ing across the middle and snatching balls on drag and crossing routes. He also has enough speed to take the top off a defense and be a vertical threat on the outside. The wideout has soft hands and doesn't drop very many passes. He is also a high academic kid and smart player on the field. Areas For Improvement: Dixon is an undervalued route runner and is light on his feet. Sometimes, he tries to build his game around finesse by utilizing those traits as opposed to simply using his size. Dixon needs to be more aggressive when boxing defenders out on jump balls. The term "playing bigger" applies here. Adding strength will also be key for Dixon. He's tall and long, but doesn't necessarily have a muscular build — he could add 20 pounds to his frame. Michigan Player Comparison: This is a lofty comparison from a recruiting standpoint, but Dixon shares a lot of traits with former Michigan wide re- ceiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Dixon is about the same size coming out of high school and is very athletically gifted. Peoples-Jones didn't live up to his full potential at Michigan for various reasons. The light just never seemed to fully come on. As mentioned, Dixon needs to be more aggressive. When he puts it all together, he's special — but he's not consistent at this time. — EJ Holland Dixon "The situation is kind of perfect. They don't really have big re- ceivers. Coach [Josh] Gattis knows what it takes to put big re- ceivers in the league and be successful at that level." Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis compared Dixon to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowler Chris Godwin and Alabama's returning 1,000-yard receiver DeVonta Smith, whom Gattis recruited to the Crimson Tide. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM