Commit Impact: What Landing Damani Dent Means For Michigan
Michigan scored a key commitment when three-star Jacksonville (Fla.) Terry Parker safety Damani Dent sided with the Wolverines on Monday morning.
The 6-foot-1, 179-pounder committed to Michigan over finalists Oregon and Pitt. He also held offers from Akron, Arkansas State, Buffalo, Georgia State, Kent State, Troy and others.
Dent is the 18th member of Michigan’s 2022 recruiting class.
Here are some quick takes on what Dent's commitment means for the Wolverines.
1. Michigan got its man in Dent. Despite not having a very high ranking or an impressive offer sheet, Michigan fell in love with Dent this summer and made him the No. 1 target on the safety board. Michigan values Dent as much more than just a mid-three-star prospect and from talking to those around the program, there is a feeling that Dent could be one of the true steals of the class. Keep in mind that Dent was a hidden gem for most of the cycle, with major programs not catching wind of him until after the dead period came to an end.
2. The recruitment of Dent was an interesting one. He gave Akron a verbal pledge in the spring and remained under-the-radar until he attended an on-campus camp at Oregon. It was there where Dent stole the show and earned an offer from the Ducks on the spot. A handful of other programs entered the race, including Michigan, while SEC programs like Florida, Georgia and Tennessee all showed serious interest. Oregon was the favorite coming out of summer, but Michigan wowed him on his official visit and did everything right down the stretch of his recruitment.
3. While Dent was a new name to fans, he wasn't to new Michigan linebackers coach George Helow. In fact, Helow was in contact with Dent even before he took the job in Ann Arbor. On top of that, Helow, who is well-connected in Jacksonville, had preexisting relationships with Dent's high school and club 7-on-7 coaches. Those relationships helped give Helow an in with Dent. Like with Micah Pollard earlier this cycle, Helow's Jacksonville ties paid off for the Wolverines.
4. Dent wasn't a new name to me either. He actually caught my attention while I was covering the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Panama City Beach this offseason. I made the trip to the Sunshine State to see Michigan targets in the Southeast. At the time, Dent wasn't really on Michigan's radar and had zero FBS offers. Still, Dent caught my attention, and I put him on my top performers list. Dent had a really strong weekend against quality competition.
5. Here is what I wrote about Dent after watching him live in Panama City: Dent picked up his first offer from Troy just 24 hours after the conclusion of the event. That should be the first of many for this versatile defensive back. Dent was a ball hawk at the safety spot and also made plays at wide receiver. He has a great build with a ton of upside.
6. So what is Michigan getting in Dent? I'm a big fan of Dent's length and athleticism. He reminds me a bit of Michigan freshman Rod Moore. Like Moore, he is still filling out his frame but loves to come into the box and bang heads. Dent is also a natural playmaker on the back end and fits in well as a pure safety or nickel. Also like Moore, Dent is athletic enough to make plays at wide receiver at the high school level. Right now, he is still really raw — even more than Moore at this stage in his recruitment — but his ceiling is sky high. Dent also has that 'dog mentality' that U-M is looking for and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
7. I recently caught up with Dent's club 7v7 coach, Harrison Smith, to get more on his game. Here is what he said about Dent: "He can recognize formations and knows what routes receivers are going to run. He's really rangy. He has a knack for the ball. He has great ball skills. He can actually play wide receiver if he really wanted to. He understands where to be at on the field to make plays on the ball. I see him playing safety at the next level. He reminds me of Ronnie Harrison (former Alabama star and currently with the Cleveland Browns). He can play in the box. He's really physical. But he does have enough speed to play corner."
8. Michigan now has four defensive backs in in its 2022 recruiting class. Along with Dent, the Wolverines hold verbal pledges from five-star cornerback Will Johnson, four-star cornerback Myles Pollard and four-star safety Kody Jones. But Michigan is not done on the back. The Wolverines are still pushing to flip five-star prospect Domani Jackson from USC. No matter what happens the rest of the way, Jackson will always be a take. Michigan is also working hard on ex-Arizona commit Zeke Berry and Rivals100 prospect Austin Ausberry.
9. Here are the commits by position
1 - Quarterback
1 - Running Back
2- Wide Receiver
2 - Tight End
2 - Offensive Line
2 - Defensive Line
2 - Edge
2 - Linebacker
3 - Cornerback
1- Safety
10. Here are the commits by state
1 - Alabama
3 - California
1 - Colorado
1 - Connecticut
2 - Florida
1 - Georgia
1 - Idaho
1- Illinois
1 - Indiana
3 - Michigan
1 - South Carolina
2 - Tennessee
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