Michigan's pipeline to West Bloomfield (Mich.) High has been strong, and adding Ron Bellamy to the staff won't hurt. The former Michigan receiver and West Bloomfield head coach is expected to be an outstanding recruiter.

One of his former players, Penn State linebacker Lance Dixon, just hit the transfer portal and will be one to watch closely.

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From Penn State Rivals:

Penn State’s linebacker corps took a hit Thursday with the announcement that Lance Dixon has entered the transfer portal.A member of the Class of 2019, Dixon was a four-star prospect, although outside the Rivals250. He appeared sparingly that first season, playing just three games so he could still use his redshirt. However, this past season, he played in all nine games for the Nittany Lions, totaling 10 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss of yards. He also forced one fumble.

According to Pro Football Focus, Dixon played 75 snaps combined against Indiana and Ohio State, only to play 17 snaps total in the next two games. He struggled with consistency throughout the second half of the season, and he ultimately finished 2020 with a 54.4 overall defensive rating, the lowest of any linebacker who consistently contributed.

Coming out of West Bloomfield High School outside Detroit, Dixon totaled 217 tackles and 10 sacks combined in 2017 and 2018. An All-American Bowl participant, he was also named Michigan’s Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today, in addition to multiple all-state honors. He took visits to Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Some services had Dixon a five-star prospect and one of the top 15 players in the country. Rivals.com Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt and staff had him a four-star just outside the top 250.

"He lands very high on the athletic range for the linebacker position," Helmholdt told us today. "How would he handle the more physical aspects of playing in the front seven was the question. Maybe he fits better in a hybrid role, just depending on his physical growth."

Dixon now measures 6-2, 221 pounds. He'll have four seasons of eligibility remaining wherever he ends up, and there's plenty of smoke he'll join Bellamy and some of his former teammates like safety Makari Paige at Michigan.

"There's no doubt he can run and is excellent in space. It's a matter of can he hold up at the point of attack?" Helmholdt said. "Is he capable and stout enough to stop the run at the end of the day? We had him lower just because those questions lingered.

"He just wan’t a big-framed guy. You can add a lot of weight to him, but that could probably affect his speed."

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