Michigan Football: Another 2022 target announces decision date

Michigan football hasn’t landed any 2022 safeties yet and that’s something that the Wolverines are hoping to change in the coming weeks.

When it comes to the safety position in the 2022 recruiting class, Michigan football is counting a lot on the commitment of four-star recruit Dillon Tatum.

That’s at least if the Wolverines want to land someone at the top of their board. Tatum, whether he was a running back or a defensive back, has been a priority for the staff for two years now.

It sounds like he will be making a decision soon, but no, there still isn’t a commitment date announced yet for Tatum who in my opinion is more of an MSU lean than a Michigan one.

Just things he has said in recent interviews leads me to believe he’s more comfortable with Michigan State and the Spartans have really made him the centerpiece of their class, plus they have made a strong push in-state lately with some key commitments.

That being said, Tatum did visit Michigan football late last month and didn’t make the same trip to Michigan State. Does that matter? It’s hard to tell.

Even taking an optimistic viewpoint, this recruitment is wide open, which is why it makes sense for Michigan football to explore other options at safety in 2022.

Another DB target announces decision date

One of those names is Damani Dent, a three-star defensive back who was committed to Akron but backed off that pledge following an offer from Oregon.

Dent is out of Jacksonville, Florida, and is ranked as the 1,433 overall recruit in the 247 sports composite rankings for 2022.

Obviously, that’s not the kind of ranking Michigan football fans want to see in recruits the Wolverines are targeting. However, Dent is a fast-riser and he didn’t even have an offer from Oregon until he stood out a camp the Ducks hosted.

He was named as one of the top performers, which in turn, landed him a scholarship offer from the Ducks. The Wolverines jumped in the mix with an offer soon after that, as did Pittsburgh. Buffalo and old U-M cornerbacks coach Maurice Linguist are also in the mix.

Right now though, it appears to be a two-team race and according to Dent’s 247 sports profile, the Ducks and Michigan football are the two programs listed as warm.

Dent has also locked in a decision date, telling Andrew Ivins of 247 sports that he wanted to commit on Oct. 10.

Since Dent camped in Oregon, he’s obviously been to campus out in Eugene. He hasn’t been to Ann Arbor, which is the next step and according to Ivins, he could be visiting for the Sept. 11 game against Washington. He’s also heard from Jim Harbaugh frequently.

This recruitment reminds me of Daymon David, a 2021 safety who also was down to Oregon and Michigan in the end. He was ranked 900th around the time of the offer and ended up in the 200s.

Dent probably won’t take that big of a jump in the rankings, but he is due to rise and by October he could definitely be a top priority at the safety spot.