Oklahoma Offers West Coast 4-star Defensive Back From Class of 2028

Ace Leutele has been a star at one of the nation's best high school football programs, and now he has the opportunity to become a Sooner.

Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A view of an Oklahoma Sooners helmet during the game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Class of 2028 athlete Ace Leutele has caught the attention of some of college football’s best programs over the last few weeks.

Now, the Sooners have joined the party.

Leutele announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he received an offer from Oklahoma on Wednesday.

AGTG! After a great talk with @arbuckle_ben I’m Thankful to say that I’ve received a scholarship to The University of Oklahoma! #BOOMERSOONER #1050@MDFootball @raul3lara @OLCoachCam @GregBiggins @adamgorney @PGregorian @ChadSimmons_ @BlairAngulo @BrandonHuffman pic.twitter.com/A8m3Qbi0ZY

— Ace Leutele (@AceLeutele4_) January 21, 2026

Leutele hails from Santa Ana, CA, and attends high school football powerhouse Mater Dei Catholic High School. He is listed as an athlete on his recruiting profiles, though he primarily plays at the safety position.

Per On3, Leutele is a 4-star recruit and the No. 80 overall prospect in the Class of 2028. The outlet also ranks the defensive back as the No. 5 safety in the class and the No. 6 player from California. 

247Sports has ranked only the top 100 players from the 2028 class, though the network ranks him as a 3-star. ESPN has yet to release its 2028 rankings yet.

Leutele stands 6-1 and weighs 195 pounds.

As a freshman in 2024, Leutele played in 10 games for Mater Dei and registered 22 tackles, three interceptions, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.

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His impressive freshman campaign caught the eye of 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins.

“Although just a freshman, Leutele is already one of the top safeties out west, regardless of class,” Biggins said in his evaluation of Leutele. “He has a big frame, and it won’t shock us if he grows into a linebacker by the time he’s a senior. He’s very rangy and covers a lot of ground. He can really close on the football and it’s really tough to find a discernible weakness in his game right now.”

Leutele appeared in seven games as a sophomore in 2025, recording 22 tackles, two pass breakups and a tackle for loss.

Oklahoma is far from the only major program to take an interest in Leutele. Other schools that have offered him include Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia, UCLA and Missouri.

The Sooners have yet to land a commitment from any players in the Class of 2028, though that isn’t overly surprising. OU recently put a bow on its 2026 recruiting class, and it is still more than 10 months until Early National Signing Day for the Class of 2027.

Oklahoma will open its 2026 season against UTEP on Sept. 5.