Demar Dorsey in Centerfield Please

Submitted by blueloosh on
First, let me start by saying Rich Rodriguez is wiser than me in the ways of football.  Ditto for Greg Robinson.

But second, let me ask: when was the last time you watched a Michigan athlete dance and swagger around like a trash-talking clown because he was soaring on the knowledge that he was athletically superior to everyone else in the game?  Not dance and swagger on occasion, but as a state of being.  A player that was constantly feeding off the rush of his own talent, employing his physical tools wildly, freely and playfully, like an excited kid just given the controls of a fighter jet.

We have had superior athletes.  We have had superior athletes with plenty of charisma.  But we have not really had what I described above since the Fab Five.  We have not seen it since Webber, but especially Jalen.  Watching them was one of the most exhilarating (if sometimes maddening) experiences of my life.

Now third, watch this film immediately:

If you judge only on these few plays, a few things seem clear:

1. Dorsey will not be instructing our team on tackling fundamentals
2. Dorsey was the fastest player on the field in the UA game
3. Dorsey thought he was the best athlete on that field
4. He could hardly stop dancing around like a fool because of points 2 and 3

Where do I stand on all this?  I will make my feelings plain.  I like it.  After years of tight, "dear God don't go the wrong direction" play at safety I am ready for an insanely gifted trash-talking kid who plays a reckless but decisive centerfield and then flaps his arms like a bird.  I want that guy at the back of my defense.  I want to see his winged helmet come flying into the viewable screen in a blur after starting the play 15+ yards deep.  

I do not want him at corner.  I want a Fab Five free safety.  In 2010.  Too much to ask?

Comments

Carcajous

February 4th, 2010 at 2:03 PM ^

Too much to ask for 2010... but I think you'll see him some at CB, and returning lots of kicks. Safety takes time to learn and I hope RR doesn't just throw him out there.

Tater

February 4th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^

I want him to play CB until he has more experience in the system. I was happy to see RR say Dorsey would be at CB. It will more fully utilize his current skill set of "speedy but raw." As for tackling fundamentals, Deion Sanders got away with mediocre tackling skills, too, but he did manage to get people down.

Baldbill

February 4th, 2010 at 3:13 PM ^

Playing at CB is more physical and less mental then the Saftey position. I think he can probably handle the CB position with his natural talents and learn the system, get some experience and get a year in the gym with Barwis. Then maybe a move to Saftey. He may well be used to return kickoffs and punts as we have not done very well there the last couple of years.

Baldbill

February 4th, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^

you are correct Switch26:
Most kickoff returns, season: 39, Darryl Stonum (2009)
Most kickoff return yards, season: 1,001, Darryl Stonum (2009)

I must just be looking at things wrong, seems like I remember too many fumbles/miscues lately...I am probably getting old.

Get off my lawn you kids.

goalieguy022

February 4th, 2010 at 2:07 PM ^

I hope that with Tate leading the offense and the addition of someone like Dorsey that our team develops a attitude that they are better than everyone else and they know it. I know it looks bad but it is nice to see our players hit someone and look them in the eyes and the opponent be like wow there is nothing i can do.

Florida Blue

February 4th, 2010 at 2:07 PM ^

I agree that the kid has swag and that is a really good thing. Still there is a certain level of sportsmanship that players need to have too. I think the coaches will do a good job of disciplining him so that the swag is in a controlled state. If not he is going to be really annoying.

That said the kid can flat fly and he knows he is good. That is a really good thing to have especially at deep safety.

Go Blue!

goalieguy022

February 4th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^

i don't want to see anything unsportsman like but kinda of an attitude like Charles Woodson. He was better than everybody and the opponents knew that there was nothing that they could do to beat him.

Magnus

February 4th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^

I sure hope he does the work to qualify... I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much for this kid, considering how excited I was about Marcus Witherspoon and Adrian Witty from the last couple classes.

Maize and Blue…

February 4th, 2010 at 2:19 PM ^

he has more god given talent than any of our other safeties and I expect to see him on the field. He may make some mistakes, but he has the speed to make up for them. This is preferable to last year when the only person I remember being caught from behind was a TE. Or do you prefer another year of taking poor angles and sometime even proper angles yet still watching opponents run untouched to the endzone. There's nothing more hopeless then knowing your last line of defense (not including Woolfolk) has no chance of running someone down from behind.

jaggs

February 4th, 2010 at 8:06 PM ^

talent for speed. Seems that common opinion here is he is far and away our most talented DB get. I would probably prefer a more polished M-Rob starting back there, who although not as fast, can make solid tackles, get in the box and stop the run, and is intuitive in the passing game.
Either way, expecting ANY freshman to make huge impact and turn our defensive backfield into anything beyond respectable seems wildly optimistic.

OHbornUMfan

February 5th, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^

between wild optimism and seven months of remembering The Travesty That Shall Not Be Mentioned In Vivid Detail, I'll go for wild optimism every time.

Also, even talent makes mistakes. Speed can catch its mistakes from behind.

Maize and Blue…

February 5th, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^

learn your terminology. MRob will be a strong safety whose description includes filling running lanes and acting as an extra linebacker. They play mostly underneath zones and cover backs out of the backfield. Must be a play maker and smash mouth intimidator.
If you think Dorsey is just fast maybe you should watch him play. Did you see the UA game or watch any tape? He can hit and is a ball hawk who has the speed to make plays from sideline to sideline. IMO eventually they will be playing next to each other unless MRob grows into a LB.

Magnus

February 4th, 2010 at 2:34 PM ^

Michael Langston from Florida Varsity said he has some work to do.

Also, Rodriguez said in his press conference that beyond Kinard, there are "one or two" guys who have some work to do.

Crime Reporter

February 4th, 2010 at 2:24 PM ^

I am very happy about this commit. He brings a much-needed swag to our D, and he is as athletic as they come. Every major program wanted this guy, and he will be exciting to watch next year. But for the time being, I think he should play corner, and we will see what happens from there.

Exodus Prime

February 4th, 2010 at 2:31 PM ^

He reminds me of a young Chad Johnson/Ochocinco. I love players who talk trash, but also are the first guys to help a guy up after a hard it or good tackle. Another good example of a guy that talks major trash, but is an excellent team player is Kevin Garnett. The most important thing to having swag is that you whoop ass on the field. I hope that Dorsey can balance his swag with good leadership, and good on the field play.

Tha Quiet Storm

February 4th, 2010 at 2:44 PM ^

Agree with the OP 1000%. In all my time watching M football, especially the last 2 or 3 years, I've desperately wished we could get an athletic, playmaking ballhawk to play deep safety, a la Ed Reed/Sean Taylor/Reggie Nelson.

Obviously it's a lot to ask of a true freshman to make an immediate impact, and obviously RR and staff will make what they deem to be the best decision, but damn it would be sweet to finally have a safety you expect to make plays rather than one you are constantly worrying about getting burned.

UMFootballCrazy

February 4th, 2010 at 2:47 PM ^

Woodson had that kind of swagger...and lest anyone forget...it takes a certain type of I-am-absolutely-sure-I-am-the-greatest-athlete-on-earth swagger to strike the Heisman pose in the end zone the way Desmond Howard did.

Six Zero

February 4th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^

You're now proposing he was cloned from the DNA of Woodson, Thom Darden, Ernest Shazor and other past great D-Backs and engineered to singlehandedly lead us to victory????

He's an eighteen-year old playing high school football. He's not Serpentor. We're all guilty of building ridiculous day-after-Signing-Day expectations, and Dorsey is clearly this year's most frequent recipient, myself included.

Maybe we should all try to at least wait til he's on the field.

blueheron

February 4th, 2010 at 3:53 PM ^

When was the last time UM recruited someone so obviously promising at *that* position in the defensive backfield? (I'm excluding Leon Hall et al. at the CB position.) I can't remember anyone quite like him.

---

Believe it or not, I felt similarly when Gabe Watson came on board a few years ago. That area (D-line, especially at the interior positions) was seemingly overlooked for many years relative to other areas on the field. He was their first big-name recruit at that position in many years. Most of the others were either overweight linebackers or 3rd-string O-linemen.

Death Reau

February 4th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^

(and I don't really know the answer to that) then I don't like the prospects of him learning the technique and being ready to contribute in the fall.

(in response to the start him at cb, move him to fs crowd)

Srock

February 4th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^

If Dorsey is 1/2 as good as Deion that'll be a great pick up for the team - in all accords. I also remember an FSU DB (Buckley) taking a Grabac pass to Desmond all the way in '91 in Ann Arbor, he was good as well. It would be nice to get a true "weapon" in the defensive backfield.

The FannMan

February 4th, 2010 at 7:22 PM ^

That INT was gift wrapped by Elvis. IIRC, it was a hitch and go. Buckley bit hard on the hitch and Desmon left him in the dust on the go. One problem - Elvis threw the hitch. I love that I can remember Michigan football from 19 years ago (19 years!) like it was yesterday, but I have no idea what the hell my wife said five minutes ago.

More to your point, it would be great to have a dominant DB (or several.)

jsquigg

February 4th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^

I hope he develops into a Bob Sanders style player with a swagger unseen in our secondary for a long time. I'd settle if he ended up being like Ernest Shazor, one of my favorite Michigan safeties of all time.

Third Down Guy

February 4th, 2010 at 6:16 PM ^

Michigan needs SOMETHING done with the secondary. I'm sick of the days of our defensive backfield sucking it up on Saturdays (especially in third and long situations). It excites me what Dorsey brings to the table. His speed & cockiness is what Michigan needs and I really hope they move him to safety.

UMFootballCrazy

February 4th, 2010 at 7:00 PM ^

I get shivers just thinking about Dorsey in the secondary...dude is going to run track too...and he runs his mouth...with Brandon destroying all on the way to a first round pick...we need some attitude on the team...and as for some other remarks that he won't mesh with Barwis...I don't think any recruits get near this team unless they are from the "work till you puke" mold...Coach even said it again at the press conference: there are no guarenteed starters...everyone earns their spot...

Don

February 4th, 2010 at 7:16 PM ^

but I despise trash talking almost more than any other thing in sports. I just wish athletes would shut the fuck up and just play. And get off my lawn.

GBOD79

February 5th, 2010 at 12:48 AM ^

haha Don, I agree to an extent. Trash talking is fine by me as long you show some class as well. If your talking trash but youre helping guys up and all that then I am fine with it. That tells me its just for fun.

But if your talking trash and acting like an ass all the time that drives me crazy. There is no need to be an ass, you all are very lucky privileged people.

OSUMC Wolverine

February 4th, 2010 at 8:23 PM ^

The way the commentators talked about Deion Sanders throughout his professional career was always amusing. He is the best cover corner in the league...which is a good thing because he cant tackle or hit for sh*t. That being said, I hope we have a Deion Sanders caliber player in this class.

GoBlue4ever

February 4th, 2010 at 8:41 PM ^

Great get for our 2010 football class. Given the defensive horrors we have seen in recent years, I would be thankful for any player who is able to make the other side eat some field turf.

maizenblue92

February 4th, 2010 at 8:44 PM ^

At the Press conference yesterday, Rich Rod said Dorsey is playing corner and Marvin Robinson is playing Safety. But really anything that puts Kovacs farther away from the field is a good thing.
P.S. Don't neg me for saying that about Kovacs, we all saw he was incapable of competent safety play.

goalieguy022

February 5th, 2010 at 2:39 AM ^

i would like to say Kovaks bulk up and maybe play that hybrid position that we are implementing...the kid has a natural ability to make the tackle...now we just need barwis to teach him speed and someone to make him smart