Michigan has its 2023 class signed up, which means it’s time to turn the full attention to the 2024 cycle and the coaching staff doesn’t seem to be wasting any time. On Thursday, the Wolverines landed a commitment from Harper Woods (Mich.) athlete Jacob Oden.

Oden, a 6-foot-1, 188-pound prospect, announced his commitment live on the 247Sports YouTube page. He chose the Wolverines from a group of finalists that also included Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa, and Tennessee.

He’s expected to begin his career as a defensive back for the Wolverines. Oden could play anywhere in the secondary for Michigan. He told 247Sports’ Allen Trieu the Wolverine coaching staff has said as much.

Oden ranks as the 17th-best athlete in the class, according to the industry-generated 247 Composite. He’s the fifth-ranked recruit from the state of Michigan and the No. 160 prospect overall.

247Sports analyst Chris Singletary had this to say on his game:

“When you see him and his physical development over the last two years, he has impressive length and has developed in his physical stature and adding muscle mass. He has a track background so he shows the speed to play on the back end at a high level. The thing that can’t be taken away is that he’s also a coach’s kid, so he understands different schemes and what the defense needs him to do within their scheme to where he can play corner, he can play safety and he can play NICKEL.”

Oden becomes the highest-ranked recruit so far to pledge to Michigan in the 2024 class. It’s a group that features six known commitments so far.

You can view his highlight tape below, via Hudl: