Tag: Dontae Manning

Former Duck defensive back Jaylin Davies transfers to UCLA

Former Oregon cornerback Jaylin Davies has announced he has committed to play for UCLA.

With a new coaching staff, transfers are expected to come and go.

Defensive back Jaylin Davies is one of those players that went and he announced that he will be transferring to UCLA and will be playing for Chip Kelly.

Going to UCLA makes sense for the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder who originally hails from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and Matei Dei High School.

When he committed to Oregon, Davies was a consensus four-star recruit and top-20 cornerback nationally by most of the recruiting services and one of the top corners to come out of California.

But with the emergence of Twikweze Bridges, Dontae Manning, and a whole host of others, Oregon is very deep in the defensive back position so Davies must have felt he’ll see more playing time with the Bruins.

Besides, the kid is going back home and you can never fault him for doing that.

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Oregon signs talented 4-star cornerback Jalil Tucker

The Ducks score a massive signing from 4-star DB Jalil Tucker, which is the biggest win yet for new coach Dan Lanning.

Oregon’s defense just keeps adding the talent and in a couple of seasons, if not sooner, the Ducks are going to be very difficult to score on.

Already signing two linebackers and two defensive linemen, Oregon added to an already talented secondary with the signing of 4-star recruit Jalil Tucker. He had offers from both Arizona and Arizona State as well as Arkansas and Boston College.

Most recruiting services have Tucker rated as the No. 2 cornerback in all of California. He is also a candidate for kick returning duties as he had 438 all-purpose yards during the year including 137 yards on kickoff returns. On defense, had 25 tackles, 21 solo, with four interceptions and two tackles for loss including a sack.

Tucker joins an impressive secondary that’s already in Eugene, including Mykael Wright, Dontae Manning, Trikweze Bridges, and others.

Injury Update: Alex Forsyth, Dontae Manning “full go,” Steve Stephens “has a chance” vs. Washington

Alex Forsyth is said to be a “full go” for game vs. Washington, as is Dontae Manning. Steve Stephens “has a chance” according to Cristobal.

Back injuries are always tough to get through and they can also be unpredictable.

That’s what starting center Alex Forsyth has been dealing with over the past few weeks. But according to head coach Mario Cristobal, the senior practiced “full go” on Sunday and the Ducks are optimistic he could very well return.

It would be perfect timing for Oregon to get its starting center back as the Ducks go to Seattle to face Washington. The coaching and training staffs were hopeful Forsyth would return for the UCLA game, but that unpredictability of a lower back injury showed itself at the last minute and Forsyth could not participate.

In his place, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Ryan Walk have filled in admirably, but getting Forsyth back to snap the ball will allow the other offensive linemen to slide back into their natural positions.

Oregon and Washington are scheduled to kick off at 4:30 p.m. televised on ABC.

DJ James and Jamal Hill are back, but where do they stand after suspension?

Oregon’s defensive backs DJ James and Jamal Hill are back from suspension, but where do they stand in terms of the depth chart ahead of the season?

Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal announced after practice on Friday afternoon that the University of Oregon has decided to reinstate defensive backs DJ James and Jamal Hill immediately, though they will miss the Week 1 game against Fresno State.

That means that the two can practice with the team, and will likely travel to Ohio State in Week 2 for the Ducks’ biggest game of the season.

This is obviously huge news for Oregon, which has been without two of their difference makers on defense throughout fall camp after the two were indefinitely suspended following an alleged airsoft gun incident that took place early in August.

So now that we have a clearer picture of when both players will return to the field, what does that mean for the defense at large?

Missing fall camp is crucial, and it will arguably take some time for both players to catch up to the rest of their teammates when it comes to getting into football shape. Once that happens, though, will they see the field immediately? Both Hill and James were projected to be starters, with the former at the safety position, and the latter at the boundary cornerback spot.

Let’s talk about James first. The third-year player has played in 13 games in his career, with 16 total tackles and two passes defended. Once it was clear that he was going to be absent for fall camp, the attention turned to both freshmen cornerbacks Dontae Manning and Trikweze Bridges, both of whom had a very impressive couple of weeks and entered an intense battle for the starting BCB spot. Cristobal said on Friday that the competition between the two is still ongoing, but what is unclear is how long the winner of that competition will remain the starter.

Might James take over the starting role a couple of weeks into the season? And if he is in shape, will we see him on the field against Ohio State? That is something that we can’t answer without seeing him on the field at all. Both James and Hill were seen leaving practice with their teammates on Friday, so you can hope that they will be playing themselves into game shape over the next couple of weeks.

As for Hill, his path back to the starting lineup seems much more clear for the Ducks. Hill was a big piece of the defense in 2020, coming down with two interceptions near the end of the season. He also has 30 tackles and four passes defended in his 11 career games with the Ducks.

The battle for the safety spot alongside Verone McKinley III has not been as intense as at the BCB position, with a combination of Steve Stephens IV and Jordan Happle occupying that spot. Hill will have to earn the starting spot back once he returns to game shape, but if his past performance is any indication, that shouldn’t be too hard to do.

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Trikweze Bridges and Dontae Manning take Oregon’s cornerback battle down to the wire

A competition for the starting boundary CB spot has boiled down to Trikweze Bridges vs. Dontae Manning, with the ultimate decision looming.

While virtually the entire depth chart for the Oregon Ducks is expected to be nailed down later this week, head coach Mario Cristobal said on Tuesday that there are a few positions that might take a little bit more time to determine the starter.

One of those positions is surely in the defensive secondary at the cornerback spot. With the loss of DJ James, who was indefinitely suspended after an alleged airsoft gun incident before fall camp, a starting spot at the boundary CB position opened up. Throughout the first two weeks of camp, a couple of players have been in a heated competition for the starting spot, in second-year freshman Dontae Manning, and third-year freshman Trikweze Bridges.

The two players are more different than they are alike. Manning was a 5-star recruit out of Kansas City who stands 6-feet tall, 185 pounds. Bridges, meanwhile, is 6-foot-3 with a massive 7-foot-2 inch wingspan.

Though different body types, the duo has been formidable so far this summer, putting all of the pressure on the coaching staff to determine the top guy.

“Anytime you get competition in camp, it’s going to be a back-and-forth deal,” said Oregon’s cornerback’s coach Rod Chance. “I think both of them are such different players. You’ve got one guy who’s really long; has a long lever, a press coverage guy. And the other guy is tightly wound and has a lot of twitch, a lot of explosiveness about him.”

Though Bridges was not as high profile coming into Eugene as a three-star recruit, he has surely played himself into contention for a starting job in his second full season with the Ducks. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Bridges had two solo tackles while appearing in all seven games.

“Both of those guys are battling day-in and day-out, sometimes by the period,” Chance said. “Sometimes one guy has a better period when the competition is coming, and the next guy picks it up the next period.”

Manning is the player with all of the gravitas at the start of his career. As the 12th highest recruit in Oregon Ducks football history, there’s a belief that he will be one of the mainstays of the defense during his time in Eugene.

Though he was on campus in 2020, a hamstring injury suffered right before fall camp ultimately held him out of action. Now that he is back healthy with a full offseason under his belt, things are heading in the right direction for the freshman.

“In my mind, he’s a true freshman. He hasn’t had that full opportunity to get the training and the grinding or the fundamentals of what we’re doing,” Chance said. “So it’s leaps and bounds from where he was last year just because he’s getting those reps, but he’s a phenomenal athlete and we’re just trying to continue to hone in on his consistency and his process.”

While it is two young players with minimal experience vying for that top spot on the boundary, both guys have shown throughout the summer that they are capable of getting the job done. With veterans around them in Mykael Wright and Verone McKinley, there should be little worry about Oregon’s secondary this coming season.

“They’ve done a great job, both making plays, both flying around,” McKinley said after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s hard to just pick one because both of them are playing well so I know they’ll both be in the rotation.”

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UGA recruiting target five-star RB Zach Evans pushes back commitment

Five Star Under Armor All-American RB Zach Evans has delayed his commitment. The UGA target played football at North Shore High School.

Five-star Georgia Bulldog recruiting target Zach Evans has pushed back his commitment time. Evans, a talented running back, was initially expected to commit during the Under Armor All-American Game.

Evans is the top rated running back in the country. He’s twice delayed his announcement now, but he’s predicted to join Kirby Smart in Athens. Evans played football at North Shore High School and is from Houston, Texas.

Georgia is still in the running for the commitments of DB Dontae Manning and five-star TE Darnell Washington:

Georgia has a chance to add to it’s already loaded class of 2020 tonight. Several of these prospects have already signed, but have been waiting until the Under Armor All-American Game to announce.

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Georgia looking to close out 2020 recruiting class with a bang

These are some of Georgia football’s top recruiting targets remaining in the class of 2020.

Georgia is currently sitting with the nation’s No. 6-rated recruiting class. The Dawgs have commitments from 15 athletes and have room for 23 this cycle.

During Coach Smart’s tenure, he has always closed the recruiting process strong and produced some unexpected surprises.

Who’s on the radar for UGA this season? The wish list includes talent that fill immediate needs and a few game changers.

Five-star cornerback Kelee Ringo from Arizona is the nation’s top cornerback and No. 1 rated player in the state. He was in Athens last week for his official visit. The Dawgs are battling Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and USC for the 6’2”, 205-pound corner, and at this moment, he’s a strong Georgia lean.

Four-star wide receiver Arian Smith from Lakeland, Florida is a strong Georgia lean. He’s the nation’s No.14 wideout and 13th-rated player in the state. The 6’1”, 175-pound speedster is expected to sign on Wednesday. Alabama, Oklahoma and Florida are still in the mix but Smith and current UGA commit Marcus Rosemy appear to be the future at the wide receiver position.

Four star cornerback Eric Reed from Shreveport, Lousiana visited Athens over the weekend and appears to be headed back to the Classic City this fall. The 6’1”, 205-pound prospect is the nation’s No. 14-rated corner and 7th overall rated player in the state. Auburn, Alabama, and LSU are pushing hard but expect Reed to sign with UGA on Wednesday.

With the graduation of tight ends Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf, five-star tight end Darnell Washington is a must. The Desert Pines High (Las Vegas, NV) athlete is freak-like good. Washington, 6’7”, 261-pounds, is the nation’s No. 1 rated athlete and is matchup nightmare. Alabama, Florida and Tennessee are still seeking his services but but the Bulldogs are in the lead.

Four-star wideout Jermaine Burton from Calabasas, California is currently a LSU commit, but the 6’, 190-pound speedster was in Athens this weekend. The No.6-rated prospect in California is originally from Atlanta and the pull from the Peach State may be too hard to resist.

Four-star cornerback Dontae Manning from Kansas City made the long journey to Athens over the weekend for his official visit. The 6’, 185-pound athlete is the No. 6 rated corner in the country. Texas A&M and Oklahoma were in the lead but saving the final OV for Georgia is a good sign.

Four-star safety Major Burns was also in Athens this weekend. The 6’2”, 177-pound safety from Baton Rouge is a LSU lean but Georgia, Texas A&M and Oklahoma have a shot at the nation’s No. 5 rated safety.

Can Georgia make a final surge and a secure five-star Jordan Burch? The Palmetto State’s No. 1 prospect was on campus this weekend and Coach Smart recently had a home visit with the 6’4”, 275-pound defensive end. Alabama, Clemson, South Carolina and LSU are still in the mix for his signature. Burch is expected to sign on Wednesday.

Georgia football in Dontae Manning’s top five

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top five schools for Dontae Manning. Manning is a 2020 four-star cornerback from Kansas City, Missouri. He plays for Raytown High School. Today, Manning announced his top five schools (Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, …

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top five schools for Dontae Manning. Manning is a 2020 four-star cornerback from Kansas City, Missouri. He plays for Raytown High School.

Today, Manning announced his top five schools (Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona State, and Texas A&M) via Twitter:

Georgia offered Manning this July. The four-star corner is expected to take an official visit to Athens the 13th of December. The early-signing period ends the 18th of December, so it’d be one of Manning’s last visits before that date.

With the class of 2020 signing day approaching soon, the Bulldogs are still in the hunt for several prospects. Georgia currently has sixteen commitments and is looking to add more talented recruits to the class of 2020.

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are also in the mix for five-star corner Kelee Ringo. Ringo is projected to pick UGA.

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