Top 2024 Athlete Has Two Notre Dame Visits Planned For April

Michigan athlete Jacob Oden and his dad have two April visits to Notre Dame planned

This weekend will be the beginning of one of the most critical months of recruiting at Notre Dame and the guest list just increased as 2024 four-star athlete Jacob Oden out of Harper Woods (Mich.) High School treks to South Bend for yet another visit. 

Jacob and his father, Rod Oden, will arrive in South Bend on Friday afternoon and attend practice on Saturday morning. The original plan was for both to visit on April 21, but those plans quickly turned into an earlier opportunity to attend a practice and a return visit for the Blue-Gold Game on April 23.

“Jacob and I are going to be making our way to Notre Dame on Friday,” Rod Oden told Irish Breakdown. "Some changes in scheduling allowed us to attend practice earlier and Jacob will be coming back for the spring game with a larger group.”

Oden is an incredible playmaker that is excited to see where he fits in to the Fighting Irish defense this weekend during practice. His high football IQ, instincts and ability to play single high safety, bump and run coverage at cornerback and slot coverage within the same game has Chris O’Leary and Mike Mickens excited about his potential at Notre Dame. The relationship with both coaches is extremely comfortable and strong going all the way back to their time on the Cincinnati staff. Jacob and his father have a very clear plan for the visit and the remainder of the recruiting process.

“Over the next 8-10 months, we plan to build relationships at camps and junior days," Coach Oden said. "Relationship and fit are the primary things for us. We’re not going to drag things out. By this time next year, we’ll be making a decision.”

The young defensive back has a tremendous work ethic which has continued into the off-season, working with trainers and participating in indoor track to improve his speed and strength for an even more impressive junior season. His goal is to give up zero receptions allowed over the next two seasons, and he believes that the work he’s putting in to improve his speed, technique and quickness will yield the desired results. 

Things have begun to slow down as he begins to shift his focus to finding the right program for his versatility, and he knows what he's looking for during his Saturday visit.

“I’m really excited to see the coaches and the facilities," Jacob noted. “I’m going to be watching all of the defensive backs and getting the overall feel for how things go. I want to see how they’re going to develop me as a player, coaches’ expectations and the overall college experience.”

Head coach Marcus Freeman will be key to Oden’s recruitment as well, since he also has a relationship with both father and son going back to Cincinnati. The communication and relationship continued upon Freeman’s arrival as the defensive coordinator and now head coach.

“Coach Freeman, that’s my guy. I’ve been talking to him going back to Cincinnati and we still talk," said the younger Oden. “The two things I’m looking in the program that I ultimately choose are trust in the staff and second, the school has to feel like a second home for me.”

The Oden family has long been impressed with total package that Notre Dame can offer Oden, and the fact that one original visit in late April has now turned into two visits including attending the Blue-Gold Game, shows strong interest on both sides of this recruiting equation. Only time will tell if it eventually equals a commitment from the elite defensive back. 

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