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Michigan just pulled off a major coup.
That’s because of the newly minted four-star defensive back Elijah Dotson announced he was transferring from Pittsburgh to Michigan. The Belleville (Mich.) High star had been committed to Pitt since May. Things between him at Michigan have picked up a lot lately and he took an official visit before the game with Oregon.
WHAT DOTSON MEANS FOR MICHIGAN
The best players in the state become ‘Michigan Men’. That’s something that coach Sherrone Moore would like to make a tentpole of his tenure leading the program. With Dotson in the ranks, Michigan has commitments from several top players in the state. He joins the four-star defensive end Bobby Kanka and four-star offensive lineman Avery Gach in class.
The elite players in the state usually stay home and go to Ann Arbor. We’ll see what happens with Dotson’s teammate, the five-star quarterback Bryce Underwoodbut the statewide trends are becoming clear. They are in favor of Big Blue. We’ll see if that ultimately applies to Underwood.
There’s another subplot here that makes this twist sweeter for Big Blue. Dotson was also heavily pursued by his rival State of Michigan. The Spartans desperately wanted Dotson to be a cornerstone of the new program coach Jonathan Smith.
Instead, he plays for the Wolverines.
WHAT DOTSON BRINGS TO THE COMMON QUESTIONS
The Wolverines are getting a versatile playmaker who will fit in well with the Big Ten. The new Michigan commit was everywhere during the game I saw in person. He scored 17 tackles during the match. Those tackles didn’t just come from guys catching the ball and making the tackle.
Dotson did a great job helping with the run and showed his physicality. He plays bigger than he is (6-2, 175) and it’s easy to see why many teams have gone out of their way to turn him around. Dotson also has good instincts and plays with a chip on his shoulder. It’s exactly the kind of attitude that’s wanted in Ann Arbor in coach Sherrone Moore’s program.
