Goodbye: David Dawson
Per Sam Webb
Hearing that #Michigan has parted ways with Detroit Cass Tech David Dawson. Digging on it now. Stay tuned for more details
Have we have lost our pipeline edge in Cass Tech? Batten down the hatches.
History of Michigan recruting Cass Tech-
Player | Pos | Class | Team |
Vernon Gholston | DE | 2004 | Ohio |
Joseph Barksdale | DT | 2007 | LSU |
Boubecar Cissoko | CB | 2008 | Michigan |
Will Campbell | DT | 2009 | Michigan |
Thomas Gordon | S | 2009 | Michigan |
Teric Jones | RB | 2009 | Michigan |
Dior Mathis | CB | 2010 | Oregon |
Delonte Hollowell | DB | 2011 | Michigan |
Royce Jenkins-Stone | LB | 2012 | Michigan |
Terry Richardson | CB | 2012 | Michigan |
Current Cass Tech players-
David Dawson | OL | 2013 | Offered |
Jourdan Lewis | CB | 2013 | Michigan (Verbal Commit) |
Damon Webb | CB | 2014 | Offered |
October 14th, 2012 at 1:20 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:21 PM ^
TomVH has confirmed it. Sam Webb is checking his sources.
Edit: Beaten to the punch, sorry.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:25 PM ^
Is Florida preparing their hello post? This kid wouldn't shut up about them. Huge loss, but we'll get someone just as good I'm sure of it.
October 14th, 2012 at 3:09 PM ^
Its highly doubtful we get a better or equal replacement. Dawson was ESPN's top guard, and #7 to Rivals. Most of the other top lineman are already locked up or looking elsewhere. The only one I could us landing this late that would be an upgrade is Dorian Johnson, but that's a real long shot.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:21 PM ^
F...
That is all.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:21 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
Most likely culprit.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
He commented last week on twitter how dominant UF's O-Line looked. He didn't even mention the Michigan game once. It's not a shock to me that he is looking elsewhere.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:37 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:40 PM ^
Well, so much for that...
October 14th, 2012 at 2:39 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 3:02 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
That's a lot of digging just to prove me wrong. But what an odd thing to say on Dawson's part.
October 14th, 2012 at 5:23 PM ^
Common now are you going to hold the kid to crazy things he said in his past before he matured? That comment was SO eight days ago.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^
This sucks. I has really excited to see Dawson at Michigan.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^
I guess yesterday was a little too good, had to balance it out with some bad news.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^
Sunday starts on the same trajectory as it has been for the last month+. Just need the Lions to lose, the Tigers to lose, and my FFB team to fail miserably to keep pace with the norm as of late.... Sigh.
October 14th, 2012 at 7:26 PM ^
Well, Lions survived..
Hopefully we will get someone as good (if not better) as Dawson
October 14th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
I immediately thought the same thing. It's unfortunate to lose a kid of his caliber especially since it seemed like he had strong relationships with a lot of other recruits. Wish him the best of luck and move on to filling his spot with another great player like Pocic. Pocic's older brother plays on Illinois so he most likely watched us dominate yesterday. He was high on UM before the line filled up so quickly. He would be a great addition, but if we can't get him it looks like the trifecta of McQuay, Green, and Treadwell is back in play.
October 14th, 2012 at 3:12 PM ^
We all know Hoke is against our committed recruits looking elsewhere, but what's his stance on recruiting kids that are committed elsewhere? Trying to flip a kid would seem like a bit of a hypocritical stance.
October 14th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
Seconded by TomVH.
October 14th, 2012 at 2:23 PM ^
Commitment means ZERO in this age of recruiting
October 14th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
That's a dissappointment. Better now than right before signing day. Hopefully have some time to grab another OL.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
There is a big difference between "Michigan parted ways with... " and "PLayer ... has decomitted."
October 14th, 2012 at 1:41 PM ^
Agreed. First thing I wondered is if something happened in school/his personal life that made him no longer desirable as a recruit. Not saying it did, but "parted ways with" makes it sound strange.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:51 PM ^
With his father's death, maybe he just felt like he needed to get out of Michigan. Who knows....it's pointless speculating on Dawson's personal life when we don't know anything.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^
My thoughts exactly
October 14th, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^
When are Treadwell and Green commit?
October 14th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:25 PM ^
One player does not a pipeline make. Tough to lose this kid though, was looking forward to his mean streak.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^
Seriously. How many other recent recruits from Cass Tech with Michigan offers haven't gone to Michigan? I can't think of one other than Dior Mathis. It's ridiculous to say that we've lost that pipeline.
EDIT: The OP's revised version is much better than the original one.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:48 PM ^
when I read somewhere (likely mgoblog) that the head coach at Cass was attempting (or at least obliging/entertaining a request) to "spread the wealth" a little bit with respect to other college programs (namely MSU, if memory serves). I have few (none) particulars, but I was afraid that may be an ominous tell... obviously don't know if it played a role here, but it may weaken the pipeline.
This indeed sucks, but no one is irreplaceable. We await the next great oline recruit...
October 14th, 2012 at 1:56 PM ^
That Cass Tech coach happens to be former RB Thomas Wilcher who played for Bo in the 80s.
October 14th, 2012 at 8:01 PM ^
And former RB Thomas Wilcher who played for Bo in the 80s stated that he hopes to send more recruits MSU's way; therefore, the "pipeline" may not be what it once was. Talk of "breaking down the Big Blue Wall" at Cass Tech has increased the last couple of years.
October 15th, 2012 at 11:45 AM ^
I just read that Freep article. Coach obviously wants to send as many kids to college on scholarship as possible. Cass Tech has a lot of prospects, including some Michigan won't have room for (esp. if Hoke continues pulling in classes ranked in the top 5). Building a relationship with every school is on his agenda. What's he supposed to say, that he's diappointed D. Finley isn't going to Michigan when he didn't get a scholarship offer? That kids like Deon Drake, Kenton Gibbs, etc. should walk on at Michigan and take out student loans (if they can get accepted academically)?
Also read carefully because that second quote in the article is from Finley not Coach Wilcher:
"It's not like that," Finley said. "It's never been like that. Most of our best guys do end up at U-M, but I believe this can change things. I feel like me going to MSU might open up some doors. More guys might look at MSU, and MSU might recruit more of our guys."
Obviously kids within a year of each other might have interest in playing in college together, but generally I think these "pipelines" are more recruiting spin than anything else. I mean, Farmington Hills Harrison was supposed to be an MSU pipeline, but that didn't stop Funchess and Ojemudia from coming to Michigan (thank goodness).
October 15th, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^
"I hope to send more recruits Western Michigan's way" would you have had any reaction at all?
His job is not to be an illegal recruiter for Michigan, but to win football games and mold young men. And along the way if he can get as many of them as possible a free education by playing football, he's going to try and do that. That means sending as much of his team as can get offers to college programs. The really good ones to Michigan, Florida, etc. The next tier of guys who aren't getting offers from them to Iowa, Northwestern, and yes, MSU, as the other instate program. And then guys to Western, Eastern, Toledo, etc. And hopefully some guys to places like Grand Valley State. Almost all of whom, including that top tier, aren't going to be professional players, and are going to get a free education out of it.
That's what he's supposed to do, and I'd be disappointed in him if did like certain other coaches did, and steer players to or away from a place. He doesn't need to push every player he has to go to Michigan. First, only a very few of them are going to be good enough for Michigan to be interested in. Second, he doesn't need to overtly act on it; he lives it every day.
October 15th, 2012 at 2:35 PM ^
I didn't say what he is supposed to do, what he should do, what would be right to do, or what he is obliged to do. Nor did I address what kind of person he is, a judgment far removed from any of my business. The strenght of the well-known "pipeline" or "Blue Wall" that exists at Cass Tech was questioned and I pointed out the Freep article. I didn't write the thing. As a Michigan fan, I was simply expressing that I would like to see the pipeline continue. Perhaps "F'd" up was a bit strong; "bummer" seems more appropriate.
So, it is a bummer to hear that the pipeline running from Cass Tech to Michigan may not be so strong as it once was, per quotes in the Freep, and indeed other places. The author insinuated as much; I reacted to it.
October 15th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
Written by a long time Lansing Journalist who's covered the Spartans forever. And even gotten in trouble for asking inflamatory questions to Michigan players. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
Looks like they really are not joking with the visits deal...
Thought Dawson was going to be an absolute mauler in the future....Sucks
Hopefully Conley thinks really hard about that whole Oregon deal too...
October 14th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
October 14th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
Did he take a secret visit? Hard to think of a reason why this would happen. He seems like a great kid and we were one of the first teams to get in on him early.
October 14th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
Was sure it was Conley from TomVH's tweet, Dawson hurts juat as bad...
October 14th, 2012 at 1:31 PM ^
Yeah but TomVH's tweet said "Michigan lost a big commitment" which I don't know that Conley counts as a "Big committment".
October 14th, 2012 at 3:15 PM ^
Conley is ESPN's #61 overall recruit. Dawson is #87. So at least in TomVH's ESPN world, Conley would definitely be a bigger loss than Dawson. Losing either would really suck, and losing both would awful.