Michigan Football: Wolverines could be in the mix for an elite 2020 CB

Michigan football has been looking to add another corner to the 2020 class and one name to consider is Dontae Manning, who de-committed from Oklahoma.

You never really know what’s going to happen in recruiting but after a top cornerback in the 2020 class, Dantae Manning, de-committed from Oklahoma, Michigan football stands to benefit.

It doesn’t mean that Manning is re-opening his recruitment to commit to Michigan football, however, according to Steve Lorenz of 247 sports ($), the Wolverines are going to be a contender.

Manning announced his decision on Twitter on Saturday morning and shortly after, Lorenz talked about what it could mean for Michigan.

Michigan originally offered Manning, who then committed to Oklahoma. Yet, according to Lorenz, he was one of the Wolverines top targets. He also said the staff knew he was going to de-commit from Oklahoma, indicating communication. Here’s an excerpt ($):

“I am told Michigan was aware that Manning was going to open things back up, meaning there’s been dialogue between the two parties.”

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What it means is that Michigan football could have a shot at landing a top-100 corner. Manning is listed as the No. 99 player overall according to the 247 sports composite rankings and the seventh-best corner. He is also the third-best player in Missouri. He resides in Kansas City.

Manning is a 6-foot, 185 pounds and he would be a great fit for the Wolverines defense, which is focused primarily on man coverage. UM has been interested in adding another corner to go along with four-star Andre Seldon, who is already committed.

The coaching staff is also interested in Darion Green-Warren and Henry Gray, who are both four-star recruits as well and are also 6-foot. Seldon is a top-300 player but is just 5-foot-9, so you can see why Michigan would want to add some size at corner, something that has been a preference in recent recruiting cycles anyway.

Texas A&M was firmly in the mix before when it comes to Manning and you can expect the Aggies to make another hard push to land the Missouri-standout, considering his home state is in SEC country.

However, Michigan has sent a bunch of defenders to the NFL draft in recent years, including a slew of defensive backs. David Long was a third-round pick in the 2019 draft and Lavert Hill should be an early-round pick next year, so that reputation could play a role.

Of course, if Michigan football is serious, it needs to get Manning in for a visit and that will be the next step to watch out for as the Wolverines make their push for one of the top corners in 2020.