Dontae Manning, nation’s No. 3 cornerback, sets Oregon Ducks official visit

Earlier this month, 247Sports four-star cornerback Dontae Manning cut his list to 10.

The 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back, out of Raytown High School (Kansas City, Missouri), included Arizona State, Georgia, Iowa State, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas A&M among his finalists.

But the simply truth was with only five official visits, not all 10 schools had a realistic shot to land the nation’s No. 3 cornerback.

For Oregon, a key in the recruiting of Manning would be to secure one of those five trips with a chance to blow him away, as the Ducks did last season with five-star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.

On Sunday, Manning provided a much clearer picture of his recruitment, announcing that he’d take his final three official visits to Arizona State, Georgia and Oregon after taking earlier trips to Oklahoma and Texas A&M:

According to 247Sports, the nation’s No. 3 cornerback will be taking his trip to Eugene on November 16 for the contest against Arizona.

Here’s the scouting report on Manning from 247Sports national writer Charles Power:

“Lean frame with adequate muscle mass and room for growth at the next level. Has continued adding muscle over the course of the past year, heading into his senior season of high school. Looks to have solid length for the position. Has outstanding straight line speed, with a best of 10.67 in the 100 meters in the spring of 2019. Transfers that speed over to the field in multiple facets as he’s a versatile playmaker for his high school team. Shows high-end turn and run ability and excels in man coverage. Has a long stride and does an excellent job of staying in-phase on vertical routes. Shows advanced ball skills and can come down with the ball in traffic and contested situations. Has solid physicality and pop in his hands. Makes plays at a high rate both in coverage and special teams, where he doubles as a dangerous punt returner. His athleticism and open field vision result in a multi-faced playmaker. Will need to continue progressing from a physical and technical standpoint as he advances to the next level. Projects as a multi-year starter at the Power 5 level with the upside of developing into an all-conference player and potential early round NFL Draft pick.”

Oregon has 21 commitments in the class of 2020, a group that ranks No. 15 nationally and No. 1 in the Pac-12 Conference.

While the individual headliners of the group may be Jay Butterfield, the nation’s No. 2 pro-style quarterback, and 6-foot-6, 225-pound wide receiver Johnny Wilson, the best position group may come from the secondary.

Oregon already has commitments from Avantae Williams (soft verbal), the nation’s No. 2 safety, four-star defensive backs Myles Slusher and Jared Greenfield, four-star cornerback Luke Hill and former ESPN Freshman All-American safety Bennett Williams.

With Kelee Ringo, the nation’s No. 1 cornerback, and Manning still on the big board, it’s possible the Ducks’ best addition is still to come.

-- Andrew Nemec