ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In late November, there was a ton of hype surrounding Michigan football flipping a bunch of top-tier targets, especially one notable name from Belleville High School, just 20 minutes down the road from The Big House. Though Bryce Underwood was the name garnering the headlines, the Wolverines managed to secure one of his best friends, defensive back Elijah Dotson, who had been previously committed to Pitt.
And his addition to the maize and blue, just like Underwood, is already paying early dividends.
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In fall camp, Dotson switched from safety to cornerback, and though fellow true freshman Jayden Sanders is the one who got the start with Zeke Berry injured, while Shamari Earls is the name most Michigan fans have been clamoring for, it was Dotson who made the biggest play of the freshmen in the defensive backfield to this point.
There were two turnovers that Michigan forced Central Michigan into on Saturday, with Manuel Beigel’s recovered fumble being the other. But Dotson made a key interception early in the second half against the Chippewas, marking his arrival on the big stage. After the game, WolverinesWire asked Dotson his reaction to having such a big play in only his second college football game, and he says that he predicted that this would happen.
“Surreal. All glory to God!” Dotson said. “Couldn’t imagine anything better than that. I said all week I was going to get an interception. I told my coaches, I told them if they throw my way, if the ball comes, I’m going to get one. So I did.”
Underwood, his former high school teammate and current college one, might not have though before the game that Dotson would come away with a pick, but once the game started, he knew that he would end up coming down with one.
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“I called it in the first quarter. I called he was gonna have an interception,” Underwood said. “He told me before the game he was gonna have one. I told Rod Moore before the second quarter, he’s gonna come up with a pick if they throw his way.
“So it was just an amazing feeling just to see one of my guys that I came along with from high school make a good play.”
Fans will likely get another chance to see Dotson in action on Saturday as the Wolverines travel to Lincoln to face Nebraska in Week 4.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football freshman makes major play in early-season game
