I will admit that I have heard zero buzz about Dawson since he arrived on campus in 2013. He was a flier scholarship offer in that class, and so far it has not paid dividends. Last season he was listed at 178 lbs., and this year he's listed at 175 lbs., which is a small change but one in the wrong direction. The Wolverines have almost a desperate need for cornerbacks this season because things get questionable beyond the top two guys, but I do not expect Dawson to be in the mix for playing time unless a series of injuries plagues the defensive backfield.
Name: Reon Dawson Height: 6'2" Weight: 178 lbs. High school: Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison Position: Cornerback Class: Redshirt freshman Jersey number: #20 Last year:I ranked Dawson #88 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.
Dawson entered the 2013 season as a scrawny project at cornerback. Michigan had a solid group of cornerbacks, including a couple fellow freshmen who were rated higher as prospects. While starters Raymon Taylor and Blake Countess held their positions, freshmen Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling each saw significant playing time, and veterans Courtney Avery and Delonte Hollowell saw occasional cornerback duties, too. There was no real need for more contributors at the position.
The situation remains essentially the same going into 2014. Avery graduated, but the other five players mentioned above return. Meanwhile, vaunted freshman Jabrill Peppers hits campus this summer. Taylor and Hollowell will both graduate after 2014, and Countess could potentially leave after his redshirt junior year, so Dawson might have a chance at earning time in 2015. He could also move to safety at some point, but at 178 lbs., that possibility is remote for now.
Prediction: Backup cornerback who plays very little, if at all
Name: Reon Dawson Height: 6'2" Weight: 175 lbs. High school: Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison Position: Cornerback Class: Freshman Jersey number: N/A Last year:Dawson was a senior in high school. I gave him a TTB Rating of 62.
Dawson spent a good deal of the recruitment process committed to Illinois. He committed to the Illini in May 2012 before getting offered by the Wolverines in December and committing about a month later, joining high school teammate Mike McCray II in Michigan's class.
As you can see from that picture above, he's pretty skinny. At a reported 6'2" and 175 lbs., he's probably about 6'1" and 165 lbs. That probably means that he'll redshirt. Michigan has burned the redshirts of a few little used cornerbacks in recent years (Delonte Hollowell, Terry Richardson) by using them on special teams, but there are some other defensive backs who can probably fill some of those coverage roles. I expect Dawson to be one of the guys who waits until 2014 before seeing the field.
Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Reon Dawson (image via Twitter)
Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Reon Dawson committed to Michigan on Monday. Up to that point, he had been committed to Illinois; he also has offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Pitt, Purdue, Virginia, and West Virginia, among others.
Dawson stands 6'2" and 175 lbs., claiming a 4.39 forty. He had 21 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery on the year.
Dawson - who is not related to fellow 2013 commit David Dawson - is the teammate of linebacker Mike McCray II, another member of the recruiting class. The cornerback visited Michigan for the Iowa game, and an offer was extended in early December, around the time that Massillon (OH) Washington cornerback flipped to Ohio State. A Michigan offer is clearly a rung or two above an Illinois offer, and some believed that Dawson would flip immediately, but he also has a teammate (defensive end Jarrod Clements) committed to the Illini. He took an official visit to Michigan this past weekend and came away impressed enough to change his commitment.
At 6'2" Dawson has good length and a broad wingspan for the cornerback position. He shows an ability to use his hands at the line of scrimmage to redirect receivers and disrupt routes, which could be valuable on both Man and Cover Two schemes. He does a pretty good job of flipping his hips, and he runs well in a straight line. While I doubt the 4.39 forty time he lists, his highlights don't really ever show a point where he has to let loose and really motor. He does a good job of staying in the receiver's hip pocket.
Even though 175 lbs. seems skinny for his height, I wouldn't be surprised if he weighs less than that, maybe in the 165 lb. range. He's very thin and needs to add weight and strength before he becomes a viable college player. His lack of strength prevents him from redirecting receivers as effectively as possible, and it also might be a big reason why he's a tentative tackler. Dawson tends to stop his feet on contact and try to drag down ball carriers rather than drive his feet, but he does show a willingness to wrap up rather than diving at ankles, so there's some potential there. He also tends to sit a little high in his backpedal, which prevents him from breaking on balls thrown in front of him. Dawson does not appear to be a dynamic player with the ball in his hands.
Overall, there are a lot of technical issues to work out with Dawson, but he has some of the basic assets that one would look for in a boundary corner: size and speed. If he's able to add size and willing to clean up his technique, he could be a serviceable starter down the road. I would expect him to redshirt as a freshman and perhaps challenge for a starting spot as an upperclassman. He's a "high floor, low ceiling" type of kid who probably won't ever be a superstar but probably won't spend his entire career standing on the sideline.
This is Michigan's 26th commitment in the class of 2013 and the fifth cornerback, joining Ross Douglas, Delano Hill, Jourdan Lewis, and Channing Stribling. Dawson, Hill, and Stribling would all seem to be headed for the boundary corner position, although Hill and Stribling could easily play safety. In addition to McCray, Michigan got three commitments from Trotwood-Madison kids back in 2008: wide receiver Roy Roundtree, tight end Brandon Moore, and running back Michael Shaw. I would expect Michigan to be done recruiting defensive backs.
Reon Dawson - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Dawson is a 6'2", 175 lb. cornerback who committed to Illinois back in May. When former Michigan commit Gareon Conley started wavering, the Wolverines offered Dawson, who is the teammate of Michigan linebacker commit Mike McCray II. I have seen suggestions that Dawson is likely to stay committed to the Illini, but getting him on campus again could always make a difference. This is his official visit. (Highlights.)
Cameron Hunt - OG - Corona (CA) Centennial: Here's a scouting report I wrote up on Hunt back in November. He played in the Under Armour All-America Game on Friday night and earned positive reviews for his technique, but he's still pretty thin and probably a couple years away from being bulky enough to play at the college level. There have been some rumblings from 2013 commits that it's just a matter of time until Hunt commits to Michigan, and he reportedly hung out with the Michigan-bound guys during the week. I would not be surprised if he commits over the weekend. This is his official visit.
Patrick Kugler - C - Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: Kugler committed to Michigan back in February and participated in the Under Armour All-America Game last weekend. He was originally scheduled to take his official visit on January 18, but he reportedly wants to be in town at the same time as Hunt, with whom Kugler bonded at the Under Armour game. This is his official visit.
J.J. McGrath - K - Macomb (MI) Lutheran North: McGrath is a 6'3", 228 lb. kicker with a lone offer from Air Force. As a senior in 2012, he was 8/11 on field goals with makes from 57, 54, 53, 50, and 49 yards. He also averaged 43.8 yards per punt. Michigan already has three kickers on scholarship, but two will be seniors and the third will be a junior in 2013; there's also a chance that senior punter Will Hagerup has worn out his welcome after being suspended three times throughout his career. McGrath also visited in September for the game against Air Force. (Highlights.)
Dan Samuelson - OG - Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: Samuelson is a 6'5", 290 lb. offensive guard prospect who is currently committed to Nebraska. He was also previously committed to Pitt and holds offers from Illinois and Minnesota. Samuelson visited Michigan on their huge recruiting weekend of December 15, and he has already stated that he plans to announce his "decision" of whether to flip to Michigan or remain committed to the Cornhuskers on Monday, January 14. In my opinion, Hunt is the superior prospect and if Michigan plans to take just one more lineman, I would hope Hunt commits before Samuelson. (Highlights.)
ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Port Saint Lucie (FL) West Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick was offered by Michigan. Bostwick is a 6'4", 280 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, and Oregon, among others. As a junior in 2011, he had 74 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. He has set an official visit for Michigan on January 18, which doesn't leave much time for Michigan to woo him, but the fact that he's visiting puts Michigan in solid position.
Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Reon Dawson was offered by Michigan. Dawson is a 6'2", 175 lb. prospect who is committed to Illinois; he has also been offered by Pitt, Purdue, Virginia, and West Virginia, among others. Dawson is the teammate of linebacker commit Michael McCray II and visited Michigan with McCray a few weeks ago, and he seemed very open to the idea of interest from Michigan. However, he also has a defensive end teammate named Jarrod Clements who is committed to the Illini. Dawson has supposedly taken a leap forward since his junior year, improving his stock enough to make him a legitimate Michigan prospect. This offer appears to be an insurance policy against Massillon (OH) Washington cornerback Gareon Conley committing elsewhere, particularly to the Buckeyes.
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive tackle Dennis Finley was offered by Michigan. Finley is a 6'6", 285 lb. tackle prospect who is committed to Michigan State; he also holds offers from Ohio State and Wisconsin. I was a little surprised when Ohio State swooped in with an offer, because I was not impressed with Finley's junior highlights. Perhaps he has improved since then, but he was really slow off the ball in 2011 and seemed like a lower echelon prospect. It is expected that Finley will remain committed to MSU, but it's a curious development. Is Brady Hoke truly trying to flip Finley, is he just trying to waste Mark Dantonio's time, or is he trying to put pressure on fellow Technician offensive lineman David Dawson to commit?
Mesquite (TX) West Mesquite wide receiver Eldridge Massington decommitted from USC. Massington is a 6'3", 205 lb. receiver who tore his ACL early in his senior year. Michigan was high on his list before committing to the Trojans, but it's unclear if the Wolverines will re-enter the fray. It's looking more and more like they'll miss out on Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wideout LaQuon Treadwell, so it might not be a bad idea to push for Massington. However, the Texas product visited Alabama last weekend and plans to enroll somewhere in January to get top-of-the-line rehab for his knee. If anything develops with Michigan, it will have to happen quickly. Here's a scouting report I wrote on Massington over the summer.
Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Dan Samuelson was offered by Michigan, despite being committed to Nebraska. Samuelson is a 6'5", 275 lb. prospect who also holds offers from Illinois, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others. Samuelson has indicated that he has no plans to change his commitment.
ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon was offered by Michigan. Mixon is a 6'0", 180 lb. back with offers from Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, and Washington, among others. As a junior in 2012, Mixon had 182 carries for 1,354 yards and 20 touchdowns. His running style reminds me a little bit of Alabama freshman T.J. Yeldon, although Mixon isn't as physically developed. He's a very high-effort, physical runner.
OFF THE BOARD
Massillon (OH) Washington wide receiver/cornerback Gareon Conley committed to Ohio State. Conley had previously been committed to Michigan, but that was before the Buckeyes came calling. I do not wish him ill, nor do I wish him luck. The only thing I regret is that I spent so much time putting together his Recruit Tracker post throughout the season. Argh!
Arlington (TX) Martin running back Kyle Hicks flipped from Texas to TCU, which is an interesting development because Texas typically dominates in-state recruiting. He attends the alma mater of redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Bellomy.
Dallas (TX) Kimball defensive tackle Justin Manning committed to Texas A&M. He is one of 33 (yes, 33) players currently committed to the Aggies.
Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods linebacker Matt Rolin flipped from South Carolina to Florida. This had been brewing for a couple weeks. Rolin was selected for the Under Armour All-American Game, but he tore his ACL early in the year and will miss the all-star game.
Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback Cameron Walker committed to Cal. Walker knew Michigan's coaching staff from the time when they were at San Diego State, and he was offered fairly early in the process. But as a field corner type of prospect who's 5'10" and 180 lbs., he probably doesn't offer what Michigan wants at this point, which is a bigger player to man the boundary corner position.
