Demar Dorsey, one of Michigan's top football recruits in its incoming class, has signed a letter of intent at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College.
Dorsey signed with Fort Scott as a back-up school should he have trouble qualifying academically at Michigan. This is not uncommon for high school seniors who have not qualified at the universities they hope to attend.
Fort Scott coach Jeff Sims explained Dorsey's situation on the U-M fan Web site mgoblog.com:
"He's working very hard to be a Wolverine, but he has to be ready just in case, to recover if he doesn't get in," Sims is quoted as saying on mgoblog.com. "If he comes here, we'd love to develop him, and get him to his goals. We are his back-up plan. He may never end up at our school. If he can't get qualified, then he needs to know that he has a back-up plan, and that's us."
Dorsey is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound defensive back from Boyd Anderson High in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
Sam Webb of Scout.com and GoBlueWolverine.com, and a regular contributor to detnews.com, offered this analysis of Dorsey following National Signing Day in February:
Dorsey will get an opportunity to get on the field right away in Ann Arbor and he will do so at corner. The Sunshine State star became the capper to Michigan's class, much to the surprise of the recruiting world.
Michigan was able to take advantage of the weakening of (Dorsey's Florida) commitment, thanks in large part to the presence of Denard Robinson (also from Florida).
Like Robinson, Dorsey possesses blazing speed (a self-reported 10.3 100-meter dash time) and is a walking big play. The primary difference is Dorsey does the majority of his damage on the defensive side of the ball. However, heading into his senior season the primary knock on his game by some scouts was that he was still extremely raw as a defensive back.
"(Dorsey) is as athletic as any player in the country with his combination of great size, frame, speed, and first-step quickness," said Scout.com director of scouting Scott Kennedy. "He's further ahead athletically than as a player. He can get caught turning the wrong way, has trouble getting off blocks, and is sloppy in his tackling form. But with the ball in his hands on returns and letting his instincts as an athlete take over, he shows that he's special. The definition of an upside recruit."
By the time Dorsey ventured down to the Under Armour All American Game in Orlando in early January, he had already taken big steps toward living up to that potential.
"He lays the wood and he talks a big game to back it up," said Scout.com South regional manager Chad Simmons. "Dorsey lights opponents up, he shows great closing speed, he shows instincts in the secondary, and good ball skills."
In other words, Demar Dorsey is quite likely the best athlete in Michigan's 2010 class.