The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543210
38 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2026 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL Jordan Deck played wide receiver pretty much his entire life. He signed with Michigan as a versatile, blue-chip defensive back. The past couple years have been extremely eventful for the Frisco (Texas) Lone Star standout. He switched positions to safety, racked up a long list of Power Four of- fers, committed to Baylor and then flipped to Michigan, finding his colle- giate home in Ann Arbor. Deck moved to U-M Jan. 2 to begin his career at the next level, just weeks aer helping his high school squad reach the state championship game. "To be able to win and be able to play in December is always a blessing," Deck said. "It's really hard to win, and being on the winning team and being signed to a place like Michigan, life is great." Michigan always believed in his tal- ent, Deck explained. The Wolverines offered him the spring before his junior season. He talks to the staff all the time and believes he's joining a family in Ann Arbor next month. The chance to make his commitment official was "special" for the nation's No. 399 recruit. "I'm glad I'm locked in," Deck said. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Deck built a strong bond with three staff members during his recruit- ing process — secondary coach LaMar Morgan, head coach Sherrone Moore and director of recruiting Sam Popper, who is the only one of trio still in Ann Arbor. However, Deck reaffirmed his commitment despite the disruption of the coaching change. The Wolverines kept things hon- est and genuine with Deck. They kept pushing for him even when he made a surprise commitment to Baylor this summer, flipping him pretty soon aer that initial pledge. He appreciated how Michigan's former staff didn't sugar- coat things and provided real feedback to him during the recruiting process. Michigan told him to work on man coverage and his ability to play in space. Deck believes he made major strides in those areas. Michigan sees him playing multiple spots in the secondary. "I feel like I can play in the box or post safety," Deck said in a previous inter- view. "Whatever role that they want me to play, I feel like I can do that. Of course, I want to see the field any way I can. I'll play special teams. I'll do whatever." A couple years aer his position switch, Rivals' No. 24 safety in the country thinks he improved his tack- ling and play recognition as well. He was Lone Star's second-leading tackler with 124 stops (12 for loss) as a senior to go along with 2 forced fumbles and a 96-yard pick six, setting the stage for his college career with a standout se- nior season. "I've been knocking heads off, and I'm just going to keep knocking heads off," Deck said. ❑ Texas Standout Jordan Deck Ready To Knock Heads At U-M Deck thrived at Lone Star High after switch- ing from wide receiver to safety. He was the team's second-leading tackler as a senior with 124 stops, including 12 for loss. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL JORDAN DECK SAFETY 6-2 • 190 LONE STAR HIGH LITTLE ELM, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 399 31 54 ✪✪✪✪ — 24 50 ✪✪✪✪ — 31 48 ✪✪✪✪ — 35 67 STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL FF PBR INT-TD 2025 124 12 2 2 1-1 2024 42 1 — 12 — 2023 69 4 — 9 4-0 HONORS • Earned PrepStar All-Southwest Region honors as a senior in 2025. • Texas High School Football America Academic All-America Team member (2024). • Honorable mention all-state honoree in 2024. • First-team All-District 5-5A Division I honoree in 2024 and '25. • Named District 6-5A Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award following the 2023 season. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan July 16, 2025. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Okla- homa, Baylor, SMU and Texas A&M. DID YOU KNOW? • Two-way player who also lined up at running back for the Rangers. • Helped lead Lone Star to a 15-1 mark in 2025 with its only loss coming in the 5A state champion- ship game. • Also lettered in track and field (sprints and jumps). • Son of Naimah Tate. • Born Aug. 17, 2007. THEY SAID IT Rivals Director Of Scouting And Rankings Charles Power: "Jordan Deck is a well-rounded safety prospect. He has good size. He's a guy you can certainly see is going to play north of 200 pounds at the college level. He can do a little bit of everything. You see him show good range in coverage. You see him come down and play in the box. He has physicality, is a sound tackler and is a guy who is a smooth mover. I would say he moves fairly well in terms of change of direction at his size. He plays good competition. Frisco Lone Star has churned out several NFL Draft picks in the past couple of years. He's going to come into college well-coached and fairly seasoned with the compe- tition he plays on Friday nights." 2026 PROJECTION Deck can play a couple of spots in the second- ary and could add some depth to the safety room early on with his college-ready frame and physical play style. He will likely redshirt but has the chance to earn a role during spring practice as an early enrollee.