This is the day many Wolverine fans have been waiting for — Domani Jackson is in the transfer portal.
Michigan fans will remember Jackson as a top cornerback target alongside Will Johnson in the class of 2022. Jackson, who was raised a Michigan fan, took a late visit to Ann Arbor but ended up sticking with USC largely due to defensive backs coach Donte Williams. Well, Williams just left USC for a new post at Georgia and Jackson looks to be trying his luck in the portal.
Michigan should be heavily involved here for a few reasons. The most obvious is the glaring need for help at boundary corner. Josh Wallace and Mike Sainristil will both be moving on after this season which leaves Michigan with spots up for grabs on the depth chart. Ja’Den McBurrows has played well in the past few games and should be taking over the nickel spot, but there are no proven players on the outside. Michigan could look for Amorion Walker, Jyaire Hill, or DJ Waller as replacements, but none of them are proven talents and it would be a risk, to say the least.
Jackson started for USC this season and posted 32 total tackles, three pass breakups, and no interceptions. He had a rocky season but a lot of his miscues can be chalked up to poor scheme and a generally bad unit. Jackson still holds the potential of a five-star player who can be elevated with the right coaching. Landing him be huge for Michigan’s next season as Jackson is the type of athlete who can be molded into a first-round pick. It is also worth noting that Jackson battled a leg injury as a senior in high school, and last year was his first fully healthy season since he was a junior.
As a recruit, Jackson was given a 247Sports consensus grade of .9952 which made him the fifth overall player in the 2022 class and the top cornerback nationally.