Freshman Focus: What’s Ahead in Dontae Manning’s Second Season?

A blend of talent and opportunity has Manning poised for a breakout year.

Author:
Reid Tingley
Publish date:
Aug 7, 2021 8:37 PM EDT

Dontae Manning enters this season as a heralded talent, having earned a 5-star rating coming out of high school. That’s part of what led me to include him on my fall camp watchlist.

In year one, Manning’s season was derailed by unavailability issues. The limited offseason made it a challenge for many guys to get right physically and Manning was no exception. But heading into his second season, he is feeling optimistic.

“I feel more than ready. I mean last year I had a little setback with a couple of hamstring injuries, but I’ve been working on it. Drinking my water, doing my stretches, everything that I can do to get it back perfect. I have every bit of confidence about this season.” Manning said.

Another crucial factor for Manning heading into this season is opportunity. The Ducks have seen major pieces of the secondary depart over the last two seasons. Jevon Holland, Thomas Graham, and Deommodore Lenoir to name a few. Still, Manning feels good about the next group of defensive backs stepping in to fill the void.

“Deommodore was one of the best at the position and now he’s in the league," he said. "But I feel like we have no worries, because Mykael (Wright) is going to hold it down and DJ (James) is going to hold it down on the other side. Those are good players to learn from. Me being a young dude and (looking to) follow their footsteps. We don’t have any worries.”

That new group in the secondary will face an early test when they travel to Ohio State in week two. The Buckeyes have talent all around, but their receiver room is arguably the most talented in the country with names like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave carving up just about everyone in their path last season.

Manning shared his thoughts on how the secondary will approach that challenge.

“Being here at Oregon we focus on ourselves and we plan to go 1-0 every day, so Ohio State is a great opponent, but we’re just going forward to focus on what we got going on, and we’re just going to work.”

A new developing story is the uncertain status of presumed starters Jamal Hill and DJ James following an off-campus incident and now an indefinite suspension. That likely means more opportunity, and with that, pressure on Manning to translate his talent into production this season.

Certainly the emergence of Manning in fall camp would be a welcome sight for Ducks fans. I asked Manning what his personal goals were for this season and his answer highlighted the process-oriented mindset that Cristobal has championed during his tenure in Eugene.

“This fall camp I just want to come in as the best version of myself and let that produce onto the field. Whether somebody need a blow or something and me come in and step in and get a pick or make a game-changing hit or something like that, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”

On a more fun note, I also asked Manning about his reaction to the Ducks' recent uniform release.

“Honestly it’s crazy," he said. "We come from Oregon where there’s everything here. The uniforms are beautiful, they stood out. A new type of I say splash to college football. So I’m ready to wear them.”