I find that it really depends on the build and People you play with. I will be starting a totemist grappler soon myself and the only real problem any one faced when doing a grappler in our group was that he went straight monk. His ability to grapple things diminished at roughly 7-8. I would say...
There is always the make the undead good approach. This takes a bit on your part for being the dm, his undead could be former heros/etc that he calls on to fight for a cause.
Possibly even it have that say there is a mindless undead already around if he uses command undead a spirit of a hero...