Signee Spotlight: Four-star DB Jacob Oden breaks down decision to sign with Michigan, stay home

Four-star Harper Woods (Mich.) High defensive back Jacob Oden has submitted his National Letter of Intent this morning and is officially signed with Michigan after being verbally committed for over 10 months.

The Wolverine’s Zach Libby caught up with Oden to discuss his decision, why he stayed solid with the Wolverines throughout the process and more. Watch the exclusive interview above.

Oden Recruitment

Oden is a Michigan legacy as his father, mother, aunts, uncles and other family members have attended and graduated from the school. He committed to the Wolverines in early February and became the first in-stater in the 2024 recruiting class to side with the three-time reigning Big Ten Champions.

He chose the Wolverines over notable offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado and others.

“I felt like it was home,” Oden told The Wolverine. “I felt the most comfortable there. They have the best coaches and the best team. I have the best relationships there. Why not?”

Michigan co-defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach and area recruiter Steve Clinkscale offered Oden immediately upon being hired by the Wolverines before the 2021 season, as the former has become an uncle figure to the signee because of how long they’ve known each other.

“I can’t wait,” father and head coach Rod Oden told The Wolverine. “From being his biggest fan to watching him live out his dream at his dream school. I absolutely can’t wait. There were parts in the year when I had to remind him that he had to finish playing for me first. But I can’t wait to see him start that journey and watch him go in there and have to work. Nothing is being promised to him. From square one, he’ll have to prove himself and I can’t wait to watch it because I know it’s going to be amazing.”

Oden led Harper Woods to its first MHSAA Division IV title in program history as a senior, finishing with 56 total tackles, 6 for a loss, 14 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.

He earned All-American honors and played in the US Army Bowl on Monday. The Detroit Free Press also listed Oden on its Michigan high school football 2023 Dream Team, while the Associated Press added him to the all-state Division IV team.

Oden has an On3 NIL Valuation of $61K with 7.9K followers on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

He’s set to enroll early.

At 6-foot-0.5, 185 pounds, Oden is listed as the No. 291 overall prospect and No. 25 safety in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four primary recruiting media services. He’s also the No. 5 player in Michigan.

Scouting Report

“Jacob is a younger prospect and is a coach’s son. He’s an instinctive safety and projects more as a strong safety. The guy can make plays on the back end. He has good size and length and is pretty physical.” – On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power

Michigan 2024 Recruiting Class

Michigan has 26 commits in its 2024 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally, per the On3 Industry National Team Recruiting Rankings.

Among the notable commits in the class are Top 100 Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day quarterback Jadyn Davis, Top 100 Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller running back Jordan Marshall, Top 100 Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst offensive tackle Andrew Sprague, On300 Rochester (Mich.) Adams tight end Brady Prieskorn, On300 Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic linebacker Cole Sullivan, On300 Brandywine (Md.) Gwynn Park EDGE Devon Baxter, On300 Austin (Tex.) Vandegrift offensive tackle Blake Frazier, On300 West Charlotte (N.C.) High linebacker Jaden Smith and four-star Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth linebacker Mason Curtis.