Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/462058
PREP PROFILES Tennessee is a state that traditionally hasn't gotten much attention from Notre Dame on the recruiting trail. The Irish have signed just one player — class of 2014 offensive lineman Alex Bars — from the state in the past five years and have dedicated much of its recruiting resources elsewhere. But that appears not to be the case anymore. The Irish want to have a presence in the Vol- unteer State, and Spring Hill Colum- bia four-star QB Ty- lin Oden is a target that's on the board. Oden, who al- ready holds schol- arship offers from Tennessee, Ken- tucky and Georgia Tech, was paid a visit by Notre Dame assistant coach Mike Elston in mid-Jan- uary. The 6-5, 190-pound quarterback said the contact came out of nowhere. "Coach Elston showed up to my bas- ketball game and told me that they're evaluating me," Oden noted. "They like my grades and my athleticism, but they want to see me throw." Oden is a dual-threat option. He racked up 1,947 yards of total offense and 28 touchdowns this past season en route to being named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class 4A All- State team as an athlete. Notre Dame has yet to extend a schol- arship offer to the prospect, but that doesn't mean one isn't coming down the line once the quarterback dominos begin to fall in place. Oden said that he is very interested in the Irish and is familiar with the offense. "I watched the Music City Bowl, a n d t h e g a m e s a g a i n s t F l o r i d a State and Louis- ville," Oden said. "I just like the system they have and how it works. They run the ball and pass it so effectively. I want to play in an offense that pre- pares me for the NFL, but also one that is kind of a spread." Oden's professional aspirations have some traction. His uncle, McDonald Oden, played tight end for the Cleve- land Browns from 1980-82. While its certainly not early in the re- cruiting process for quarterbacks, Oden said he's in no rush to make a decision. He plans to try and make it to South Bend sometime this spring for an unof- ficial visit. "I'm just enjoying it all right now," Oden said. "I'm not tied to anybody." — Andrew Ivins Volunteer State QB Is An Option For Irish TYLIN ODEN ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Columbia High School Spring Hill, Tenn. Status: Being Evaluated Class: 2016 Position: Quarterback Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 180 40-Yard Dash: 4.71 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 6 player in Tennes- see, No. 7 dual-threat quarterback in the coun- try and No. 189 overall prospect in the nation