Take a look at who's leaving Michigan's secondary, and you'll understand why freshman safety Artis Chambers chose to pass on one final semester of high school.

Ryan Mundy and Willis Barringer won't strap on the winged helmet in 2007, leaving the opportunity for Chambers to come in and make an immediate difference.

And that's why he's already on campus.

"I knew we were losing two safeties this year, and I wanted to make an early impact on the team this year," Chambers said. "I came here early to get bigger and stronger and help the team next fall."

Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Chambers joined fullback Vince Helmuth, quarterback Ryan Mallett and junior college transfer linebacker Austin Panter as early enrollees in Ann Arbor for the winter semester.

Chambers's arrival allows him to participate in winter workouts and eventually in spring practices. After hearing about the safety's decision, one of his high school assistant coaches, Bob Bergeron, sat down with Chambers to remind him of the pros and cons of leaving high school early. And though Chambers would miss out on senior prom, basketball and track, he had already made up his mind.

"He was fully aware of those situations and accepted them fully, knowing that this was, in the long run, the best thing for him," Bergeron said. "That takes a lot of introspection for a high school senior to see the long term instead of the short term."

With Barringer's graduation and Mundy's departure, Chambers will be in competition with fifth-year senior safety Brandent Englemon, sophomore safety Stevie Brown and senior cornerback Charles Stewart to start alongside returning safety Jamar Adams.

There is widespread speculation that Stewart may switch positions from cornerback to safety after losing his starting position last season. Both Brown and Stewart have more time in the program, but Bergeron sees Chambers's early enrollment as a chance to for the 6-foot-2 safety to learn the defensive schemes and adjust to the physical demands of college football.

Bergeron first saw Chambers's potential during the safety's sophomore year of high school, when Chambers became the leader of the defense on a team that went to the state championship.

During the recruiting process, Chambers received offers from Indiana and Purdue. He also fielded interest from other Big Ten schools, including Ohio State and Wisconsin. Purdue coach Joe Tiller even went as far as to label Chambers "the one that got away."

Unfortunately for Tiller, the getting away part was the exact reason Chambers left the state of Indiana.

"I had a little bit of interest in Purdue, but I just wanted to be a little farther away from home," Chambers said.

The Fort Wayne, Ind., native also received a little direction from Bergeron. Bergeron kicked for the Wolverines in the early 1980s and let Chambers know exactly what was in store for him when he joined the Michigan program.

"He said they always expect you to do your best," Chambers said. "They don't tell you what to do; you just have to be ready to do it on your own."

But the jump from high school to college has been more drastic than Chambers imagined.

The Fort Wayne Snider High School standout has spent most of his time on campus working out with the team, studying film and, most important, finding his classes.

"The first couple of weeks were real tough for me," Chambers said. "I didn't know where anything was, and I didn't really know what to expect coming from high school, all the different classes and stuff. Now, I'm just finally getting used to everything and the schedules and things like that."

But for Bergeron, these first few months are the just the start of a great college career for Chambers.

"First of all, he will get a degree from Michigan, which you can never go wrong with," Bergeron said. "He will be a contributor to the football program whether it's on the field or off the field because he's a high character individual."