The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Finally, in the spring of 2021, Troy, Akron and Eastern Kentucky offered. Dent assessed his options and commit- ted to Akron in April, seemingly putting an end to his recruitment. Then, a month before his senior sea- son began, Dent landed an offer from Oregon after attending a camp in Eu- gene. Just two days later, Michigan of- fered and Dent re-opened his recruit- ment. Dent admitted Oregon was his "dream school," and that it took time for the Wolverines to emerge as a serious con- tender in his recruitment. For the Florida native, it was a "grown man talk" that helped him realize Mich- igan was the place for him. Dent bonded well with U-M head coach Jim Har- baugh and safeties coach Ron Bellamy. With Bellamy, it was a similar upbring- ing that drew the two close. "We came up from that kind of same struggle, so it's a good understanding," Dent said. For the Michigan head coach, he saw a lot of himself in the safety from Jack- sonville. "Damani Dent, he's a guy I've really gotten so close to in the class," Har- baugh told Jon Jansen on the "In The Trenches" podcast. "There are guys you talk to every day — they text me or I text them every day. Damani has cer- tainly been like that … great personality. That's Damani Dent. "It's kind of like looking in the mirror — the enthusiasm, the love of football. He just really, really stands out to me that way." What sealed the deal for Dent was his conversation with the U-M academ- ics department while on his official visit. He came to the realization what the program had to offer was more than just football. With the understanding of what a degree from the University of Michigan means for his future, Dent committed to the Wolverines on Oct. 18, 2021, a little more than a month after making his official visit to Ann Arbor. Now, as Dent looks forward to his col- lege career, the worth ethic instilled in him early in his high school career re- mains the same. Bellamy has pitched Dent on filling the role left behind by the NFL-bound Daxton Hill in the Wol- verines' defense. Though Dent won't enroll at Michigan until the summer, the three-star is expected to compete with fellow incoming freshman Zeke Berry and older defensive backs already on the roster for Hill's vacated spot. Even if he doesn't win the role right away, Dent's goal is to get on the field as early as possible, in whatever role he's asked to play. When it's all said and done, he hopes his biggest accomplish- ment in his time at Michigan is the same as his time at Terry Parker. "I just want to leave the same legacy for all the kids coming in," he said. "I want them to think, 'This is a school I want to come to. I saw Damani come here, I want to come here. He did this here, I want to do this, and I want to do it better.'" ❑ Dent was a ball hawk at Jacksonville (Fla.) Terry Parker, snaring seven interceptions the past two years. As a senior, he had four picks, which he ran back for 119 yards and two touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY DENT VIA TWITTER MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 45 THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rank- ings Charles Power: "The thing that sticks out to me is his size, length. He's got good ball skills, good range at safety. I think there's a good bit to like there, es- pecially for a guy we didn't know much about throughout his process." • Tight Action seven-on-seven club coach Harrison Smith: "He can recog- nize formations and knows what routes receivers are going to run. He's really rangy. He has a knack for the ball. He has great ball skills. He can actually play wide receiver if he really wanted to. He understands where to be at on the field to make plays on the ball. "I see him playing safety at the next level. He reminds me of Ronnie Harrison [Cleveland Browns' 2018 third-round pick out of Alabama]. He can play in the box. He's really physical. But he does have enough speed to play corner." 2022 Projection Dent is yet another versatile de- fensive back Michigan landed in the 2022 class. He will play a similar role to freshman Rod Moore on the back end of the Wolverines defense. The 6-0, 190-pounder won't enroll un- til the summer, when he will join a crowded defensive back room so it may take a year or two of work for him to see time on defense. Dent also needs to develop technically and in the strength and condition- ing program. In the meantime, he'll look to play immediately on special teams.