Offensive guard David Dawson, out of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich., has officially signed on to play for Brady Hoke and the Michigan Wolverines. Dawson was rated the top overall prospect in Michigan for class of 2013 by 247 Sports, while landing in the top five statewide with both Rivals and ESPN.
David Dawson signs with Michigan
The Wolverines will keep one of the top players in the state home and bolster their offensive line.
Bud Elliot, SB Nation
Dawson had no shortage of offers from the top programs in the nation. He chose Michigan over Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Texas A&M, among others. His recruitment wasn't exactly smooth, as Dawson first committed to Michigan as a junior before de-committing in February and having his scholarship offer pulled. He then re-committed to Michigan in December, according to SB Nation Detroit.
All the major recruiting sites rate Dawson as a four-star recruit. Rivals pegs him as the ninth-best OG available, and the 165th player overall. The other services have him much higher nationally, as ESPN has him at 91st and second as his position. Dawson is the 65th-best prospect on 247 Sports, with the composite rankings putting him at 95th.
Standing at 6’4 and around 280 pounds, Dawson has a slender build for an offensive lineman. His smaller size is likely a big reason for his move inside in college. Strength is his biggest weakness, as he doesn’t really get a huge push once engaging with defenders. However, his technique is sound for his age, and strength is the easiest thing for a college staff to add. Dawson also has a high motor, and often blocks until the whistle or chases the play downfield. With those kinds of attributes, it is not hard to see why he was so sought after by the country’s best coaches.
Ratings: 4-star: Scout, Rivals, ESPN, 247 Sports
Vitals: 6’4, 280
Other offers: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Michigan State, Baylor, Indiana, LSU, Missouri, Ohio State, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, Texas Tech, UCLA, Utah, USC, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Twitter: @DavidDawson_
Recruitment timeline: Committed to Michigan during junior year, but de-committed in February after visiting the campus. Opened up recruitment and named Michigan State and Ohio State as the leaders. Was offered again in October by the Wolverines and re-committed after taking another visit to Ann Arbor on December 14th.
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