The Wolverine

April 2012

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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COMMITMENT PROFILE Offensive Lineman David Dawson Returns Home And Picks U-M Dawson will play his senior season of varsity football at Detroit Cass Tech, where he played as a freshman and sophomore. In between, he took a detour down to the Lone Star State. As a junior, he started at right tackle for Houston Cypress Ridge, and it was an adjustment from high school football in the Motor City. "There were a lot of high- Offensive lineman David and Detroit allowed him to become very acquainted with the Michigan program. "I've already been up there three times, so I've already seen the facilities," he said prior to committing, "Number one for me is to just see the coaches again and speak with them — Coach [Brady] Hoke, Coach [Darrell] Funk and Coach [Fred] Jackson. caliber athletes," Dawson said. "You practically played against a Division I athlete every week — week in and week out — so that was different. The heat for the first couple weeks was dif- ferent. It was a learning ex- perience. "The coaches taught me a lot of new techniques. They helped me on my run- blocking technique. It was great playing down there and living in Houston. plenty about technique during his time in Texas, Dawson still had some catching up to do at Cass Tech. "To us, he lost a little bit," Cass Tech Although he learned " After a year in Houston, Dawson is coming back to Detroit Cass Tech for his senior season in high school. coach Thomas Wilcher said with a laugh. "He's been working hard since he got back, and he's doing a great job here. He's improved by running a lot, and he's got somebody to work with to keep his competition up, and that's good too. son continue catching the eye of the Wolverines, who were his hometown favorite. The proximity of Ann Arbor Returning to Michigan helped Daw- " up field to attack second-level defenders. His pass sets are quick, and he under- stands where he needs to position his body to protect the quarterback. Areas of Improvement: Every high school player struggles to get lower than his blocks. Defenders cannot throw him off his block because he keeps his feet wide and keeps them moving. Dawson looks really good in open space for such a big player. He pulls well from the tackle position and gets his shoulders and hips turned Strengths: Dawson does a good job maintaining balance on his feet through FILM EVALUATION the high school competition they face, and it is especially difficult for Dawson since he plays mostly out of a two-point stance. That will no longer be an issue when he gets to Ann Arbor and plays with a hand on the ground. His footwork will have to improve to reduce false steps. His pass set is quick, PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Michigan's headman, offen- sive line coach, and South- east Michigan recruiter, respectively, played a large role in his eventual commit- ment to Michigan. So, too, did Cass Tech's connections to the program that's just 40 miles up Interstate 94. Since the 2008 recruiting His relationships with " running back, doesn't steer his play- ers to Michigan (the Wolverines have missed on a number of players from the school, including defensive end Vernon Gholston, who went to Ohio State, and cornerback Dior Mathis, who signed with Oregon), but he's not com- plaining if they choose to follow his footsteps from the Motor City to the Tree City. Michigan had plenty of competition class, seven Cass Tech foot- ball players have gone on to sign with Michigan. Daw- son, however, will be the first offensive lineman out of Cass to become a Wol- verine in that timeframe. Wilcher, a former Wolverine but he has a tendency to turn his shoulders to the sideline too much. These are minor issues and correctable ones. Michigan Player Comparison: Joe Cocozzo was a wide and strong lineman in the early 90s. He played a mauling style of football and could also move well in space. Cocozzo is on the All-American wall inside Schembechler Hall and was a 3rd round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com 64 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2012 for Dawson's commitment, as well. The technique he picked up during his time in Houston — and the exposure of playing on one of high school football's biggest stages — helped him earn of- fers from Alabama, Florida State, Texas A&M and UCLA. Fortunately for the Wolverines, Dawson remained a Michi- gan fan during his year in Texas, and that helped U-M earn his commitment. Dawson is listed as the No. 199 player nationally in the initial Rivals250, and he is slated to be an offensive guard in college. His 6-5, 305-pound frame and agility will serve him well as a pulling lineman in addition to his power as a drive blocker. — Tim Sullivan

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