One of the best players in the country, and one of Michigan’s top targets in the entire 2022 class, simply left the board. Five-star cornerback Domani Jackson has just committed to USC.
The 1.8-meter-tall, 185-pound man from Santa Ana, California, chose USC from the rest of his top six list, which included Wolverines, Ohio State, Clemson, Arizona State and Oklahoma.
Jackson visited Michigan for the first time in November. He was able to see Ann Arbor up close with another 2022 class cornerback, the five star Will Johnson. Despite being a “closed package”, it seems that Johnson is in no hurry to make his decision.
Jackson is an elite talent, scoring 4.51 in his 40-yard run and 4.25 in his transportation time at the 2019 regional opening. Brandon Huffman of 247Sports compares Jackson to the current New Orleans Saints cornerback, Marshon Lattimore:
“Athletic, good-sized cornerback with speed (4,540 as a freshman), speed and explosiveness. Still relatively new to the position, making the transition from the receiver, but showed elite level coverage skills, ball skills, game diagnostics and closing speed. You play physically, you can hit and press, but you can also play and defend the pass. The soft backpedal and fast hips make it a natural cornerback. Projects as an immediate contributor to the Power 5 and potential First Round NFL pick.
Even though he is now verbally committed to the USC, the Wolverines will not give up on recruiting him yet. Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider ($) wrote late on Friday that the new defense co-coordinator and cornerback coach, Maurice Linguist, spoke with Jackson and his father on Wednesday night. Linguist probably knew what Jackson’s commitment decision would be when he made that call, so don’t expect Michigan to give up on this race yet.
I think two things will be a big factor for the Wolverines in the future for Jackson. The first thing is to win / make the songs look good on the Linguist. Obviously, we will not see how it goes until September. But the second factor, which may happen long before September, is Johnson’s decision. If Michigan manages to get Johnson to commit, I believe that would go a long way in a potential turnaround for Jackson. Keep your fingers crossed, guys.
Jackson is No. 1 cornerback, No. 1 player in California and No. 3 overall in Class 2022, according to the 247Sports compound.