Michigan football keeps stockpiling elite talent in the 2026 class, and added another elite player in the secondary, with the commitment of four-star cornerback Dorian Barney on Saturday.
Barney, who is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds out of Carrollton, Georgia, is one of the top defensive backs in the 2026 class, ranked No. 148 overall, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.
Penn State was a top contender for Barney, along with Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Georgia Tech as well as some of the other top contenders for the blue-chip cornerback had a total of 50 offers.
Barney is the second defensive back ranked in the top 200 to pledge to the Wolverines in the past week. Andre Clark chose Michigan football earlier this week. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound defender out of Richmond, Virginia could be a cornerback or safety for the Wolverines.
Barney also has position versatility. There aren't any other safety commitments in the class right now, so Clarke could shift to safety, although it feels like he'd be the perfect nickel.
Barney is another talented cover guy. Outside of the defensive line, cornerback is probably the most important position on defense, especially when teams like Ohio State and Oregon are going to be the chief rivals in the Big Ten.
You need defenders who can match up. Barney is one of those guys. He could be a nickel for the Wolverines or an outside corner. Like Clarke, he's got great size and good ball skills. He feels like a Michigan corner -- big, physical, and aggressive. He's not afraid to tackle and has tremendous instincts in coverage.
Barney is the 11th top-100 commitment for Michigan in the 2026 class. The Wolverines have 13 blue-chip commitments now out of 20, with Calvin Russell's decision looming on Saturday night.
The commitment of Barney also helps make up for the loss of four-star cornerback Brady Jennings, who flipped his commitment to Miami on Saturday.