Solorio: Cristian Dixon "One Of The Most Polished" WRs At Under Armour All-American Combine

After making his name as a talented junior on a stacked Mater Dei squad, Cristian Dixon was named an SI All-American candidate ahead of the 2020 season.

Last year, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver Cristian Dixon worked his way into the lineup on a new team, and he carved out a secure role in the Monarchs’ passing attack. Now one year older, Dixon is poised for a dominant senior campaign after picking up 611 receiving yards on only 35 receptions (17.45 yards per catch) and six touchdowns.

Standing at 6-2 and nearly 200 pounds, Dixon isn’t the largest receiver, but he uses his length well and helps rely on his route running and football I.Q. to get open. Dixon has worked hard on developing a few different releases at the line of scrimmage, and Mater Dei runs a fairly complex passing attack, so he sees the defense and the secondary thoroughly for a prospect of his age.

From a recruiting standpoint, Dixon was a prospect in hot pursuit over the offseason. Michigan extended an offer in January, and he ended up landing scholarships from programs such as Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon and USC, so U-M registered a big recruiting victory when the SI All-American candidate issued his commitment to the Wolverines on June 25.

Wolverine Digest caught up with SI All-American’s Matt Solorio, who evaluated Dixon in person, to see what his main takeaways are of the Michigan commit.

Matt Solorio's Analysis: At the 2020 Under Armor All-American combine, I had the pleasure of watching Dixon work against some of the top corners Southern California has to offer. He was noticeably one of the most polished receivers in the bunch that included plenty of top tier recruits.

Of course, the size and speed combination jumps off the page, but his ability to avoid harassment off the line of scrimmage is something that might offer a glimpse into his future. He isn’t reliant on physical gifts to create separation. Instead Dixon uses hand fighting, at no cost to his momentum, to swipe off punches and stay on his track.

He’s got some juice with the ball in his hands, but I like him more as a run under the pass type of receiver. Most corners he competed against throughout the camp just could not keep up in both speed and physicality. As he comes into his early 20’s and adds some functional strength, he’ll be a physical specimen out there at wide receiver. 

Here is the breakdown of Dixon as a prospect from his SI All-American profile page:

Frame: ​Fair width in shoulders and length in arms. Solid upper-body/abdominal definition. Has above-average sized thighs and hips, along with tight calves.

Athleticism: ​Posted a vertical jump of more than 32 inches, along with a 4.57 shuttle time and 4.63 40-yard dash last spring. Plays faster than his times. Has excellent release and lateral quickness at the line. Very good internal tempo and consistent play urgency. Easy feet in speed cuts at breakpoints. Tough and willing play through catch points while anticipating contact.

Instincts: ​Laterally elusive in release versus press coverage with decent hesitation/rocker-step technique. Good discipline in route running - understands how to attack with good initial stemming. Decent to sell vertical stems with proper tempo to collect information versus off coverage. Flashes a solid armbar while tracking downfield throws.

Polish: ​Plays in the boundary, No. 2 in tight bunch alignments, and also as stacked receiver 2x2 stack sets. Solid diversification in his route tree. Runs posts/bang-8’s, fades, go’s, comebacks, deep outs, slants, and seams. Flashed a light stair-step on deep cross concepts. Must increase strength to and use of hands to combat physical press coverage. He also needs to improve his ability to grow gaps out of secondary releases.

Bottom Line: ​Dixon uses good release quickness and plays speed to make plays versus the elite competition at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. While he has limited statistical production, he’s a solid route-runner with a varied tree. He projects well as a “Z” receiver in an offense with spread or pro-style passing concepts.

After hearing these reports, what are your thoughts on Michigan’s ability to land Dixon? How do you see him translating to the college level, and are there any college wide receivers that he reminds you of? Let us know!