I have been a fan of the way Xavier plays the CB position since first watching him last summer. With another season under his belt, the junior DB seems to be even more confident out on an island. That confidence and his aggressive play style in man to man coverage are needed to lock down a WR 1 on 1. But to do it you need to be able to athletically hold your own vs the WR. Xavier stands out from the crowd because he can run deep, but he can also cut on a dime with WRs while staying right in their pocket and then timing his attack on the ball perfectly. The combine verified those quickness and agility traits too. Dawson ran a 4.34 shuttle, and an elite 6.47 L-Drill. The balance through breaks and power in his acceleration were very evident. Get this kid on campus during the camp cycle and watch him battle, but get him on your radars today.

Xavier is another athlete in this list who made him move to the rankings thanks to multiple camp showings that caught my eyes and the attention of other PRZ scouts. Xavier has a physical style of play. He will get up on the line, use his hands to redirect receivers and make it hard to get off the line. He also showed that he could move well in space once he was downfield trying to react quickly to route breaks. Watching Dawson battle at camps also gave me that sense that he has the confidence needed to be out on an island and battle some impressive athletes 1 on 1. I’m excited to see his role on what could be a very talented Wisconsin Lutheran team.

The sophomore DB/ATH out of Wisconsin Lutheran had a solid day at the Showcase. He wasn’t able to do the full combine because of a nagging injury, but that didn’t stop him from showing up in the drill work. Xavier is developing into a smooth, shifty, sudden athlete with the twitchiness needed to win out at CB. The sophomore was able to repeatedly show off his quick reactive athleticism to stay in the hip of the WR he as guarding. The Wisconsin Lutheran roster was well represented at the showcase, and Xavier was a strong representative.