Michigan Football: Could Wolverines land top safety again in 2020?

Michigan football is gaining ground with the top safety in 2020, Jordan Morant, which would give the Wolverines the top safety for the second year in a row.

While there is some debate among the different recruiting services where exactly Michigan football recruit Jordan Morant ranks in 2020, it’s clear he is among the top safeties available.

And after a recent visit to the Michigan football program that seemed, by all accounts, to go really well, the Wolverines appear to be the favorite for Morant, who is listed by 247 sports as the No. 1 safety in the 2020 class, as well as the No. 45 overall. UM also holds the majority of his crystal ball predictions.

Morant is the second-best prospect in the state of New Jersey, a known stronghold of defensive UM assistant Chris Partrdige, who just happens to be recruiting Morant along with Anthony Campanile, the former Boston College co-defensive coordinator.

Morant is 5-foot-11 and while he tested around 4.6 in the 40, that doesn’t mean everything. Devin Bush ran something in the 4.6’s before he came to Michigan football and look at how fast he ran at the NFL combine.

In an interview with Wolverines Wire following his visit to Michigan April 24, Morant talked about how he could fit in the defense, as well as how he could play both corner and safety.

“They told me I would be a great fit in their defensive scheme,” Morant said. “They said I have the speed and cover skills like a corner and I can hit like a safety, so that was really interesting to hear. I think it could be a good fit.”

That kind of player sounds a lot like the one Michigan just landed in 2019 and that’s Daxton Hill, who was the gem of that class.

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Hill was not only the No. 1 safety in the 2019 recruiting class but he was also a five-star prospect. He stands 6-foot and runs the 40 in 4.3, which will give Don Brown an elite athlete to work with on the back end on his defense.

As much as fans want to be critical for the way Brown ran too much man-to-man defense against Ohio State, the biggest problem was a lack of athleticism. Michigan didn’t have the athletes to cover or tackle Ohio State in the open field. Not like when UM had Jabril Peppers.

Say what you will about Peppers, his speed and tackling ability limited a lot of big plays. If Hill can do that, he will be a success and then if you add Morant for 2020, he could potentially fill the role of Josh Metellus, who will graduate after this season.

Even if Morant isn’t ready to start right away, he will add yet another versatile defensive back to Michigan’s roster, such as Brad Hawkins, another guy who can play both corner and safety.

Morgan, who weighs 212 pounds could even be an ideal viper. That’s where Peppers played after all and he seems similar to Khaleke Hudson, the current starter. Either way, Michigan football figures to have a great shot at landing him, although Penn State and Ohio State are in the mix.

“I am very interested in Michigan,” Morant told Wolverines Wire. “I love it there, and I definitely think Michigan could be a school I want to go to.”

If Morant does choose the Wolverines, it would be a huge win for Michigan. He indicated he will make his decision sometime around August or September.