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Michigan Football: 3 thoughts on commitment of Damani Dent

By Chris Peterson

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines reacts during the second half of the game against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium on September 11, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines won 31-10. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines reacts during the second half of the game against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium on September 11, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines won 31-10. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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Michigan landed the commitment of three-star safety Damani Dent and here’s a breakdown of what it means to the Wolverines.

It came a little later than expected but Michigan football still got some good news on Monday.

Three-star defensive back Damani Dent was supposed to commit early on Monday morning, but it didn’t go off as planned. However, it didn’t matter in the end as Dent pledged to the Wolverines, giving them one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2022 recruiting class.

Dent is a 6-foot, 190-pound safety, and he’s ranked 1,408th in the 247 sports composite rankings for 2022. But don’t let that fool you, Dent can play, and here’s what the Wolverines are getting.

What Michigan football is getting

His high school coach said he can play anywhere in the secondary and think that’s true. Dent has proven this season to be a playmaker with three interceptions. He also stood out this past summer at the Alabama and Oregon camps.

Those performances took him from an Akron commit to a recruit with offers from Oregon and Michigan, as well as a number of SEC schools showing interest.

But in the end, his visit to the Big House paid off in a big way and George Helow, the linebackers coach, has ties to Jacksonville, where Dent is from, which probably didn’t hurt. Here’s what EJ Holland of Rivals wrote about Helow’s role in this recruitment.

"“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.”"

Oregon was involved and so was Pittsburgh. If Georgia had offered, things might have gone differently but even Nick Saban came away impressed with Dent — he just didn’t have room for him according to the newest Wolverine commitment.

And he fills a huge need. Michigan is pretty set at cornerback, although it would obviously take Domani Jackson if it is able to flip him, but U-M needed help at safety, especially after just landing one in 2021, which makes this a really good get.

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