Clemson 2026 cornerback target Danny Odem announces commitment date
Clemson is all over The Athletic's Top 25 ACC football players for the 2025 season https://t.co/3ObNCf291j pic.twitter.com/C7c9opewqR
Clemson football is in the mix for another highly touted defensive back, but it appears the Tigers may be on the outside looking in as four-star cornerback Danny Odem prepares to announce his commitment Monday evening.
Odem, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound standout from Orlando (Fla.) The First Academy, is set to choose between Clemson, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State at 5 p.m. ET. While the Tigers are among the finalists, On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine currently lists Penn State as the leader. Odem took official visits to four of his finalists — Nebraska, Penn State, Oklahoma, and Ohio State — but Clemson is the only one that didn't receive an official visit, despite hosting him on campus for a May 30 unofficial.
Odem, who is ranked the No. 247 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports and No. 8 cornerback by Rivals, was previously committed to North Carolina before reopening his recruitment in December. He holds over 50 scholarship offers, making his decision one of the more closely watched in this cycle.
Even if Clemson misses out, the Tigers are still in solid shape in the secondary for 2026. Dabo Swinney's program already holds commitments from four-star safeties Kentavion Anderson and Kaden Gebhardt, along with three-star corners Shavar Young Jr. and Marcell Gipson. Clemson remains in the hunt for other blue-chip defenders like four-star safeties Tylan Wilson and Blake Stewart.
The Tigers' 19-member 2026 recruiting class ranks among the top 10 nationally, including a No. 4 ranking by ESPN.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
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Crazy 8: LSU claims another championship at CWS (with notebook)
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This team was a collection of talent that not only became a team, they became a family,' said head coach Jay Johnson who's the first coach in NCAA history to win multiple titles at a school in less than eight years. 'He's the man,' said centerfielder Chris Stanfield, who had the key hit in the four-run fourth inning that put the Tigers ahead for good. 'We know what our jobs are. He lays it all out for us.' Something worked. The Tigers took two in a row from a Coastal Carolina that had won 26 in a row before running into the Tigers. 'It took the best team in the country to beat them,' Johnson said. 'LSU is the best team in the country this year — not just the national champion. 'They performed like national champions every single day of this (CWS). We had a great fall … December. We had a great lead-in to the season. 'Then tournament time is our time. And t hey were amazing in the NCAA tournament.' 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'You've got to give their pitching credit,' said Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall, who didn't see much of it Sunday as he was ejected in the bottom of the first inning for arguing balls and strikes. 'There's a reason why there were so many strike outs. We were just expanding the strike zone a little too much.' Eyanson followed up Kade Anderson's 3-hit, complete-game shutout on Saturday with 6 1/3 innings allowing three runs on a pair of wind-blown home runs. He left one out after the second home run with nine strike outs. Chase Shores came on again with one out in the seventh and retired the first six batters he faced — four on strike outs — before giving up a one-out single in the ninth. It brought the tying run to the plate. But two pitches later, a 4-6-3 double play ended the suspense and ignited the dogpile. 'I just felt like we didn't ever allow them to have any momentum in the two games,' Johnson said. 'It's like in football — they were in third-and-8 the whole time.' The Tigers tied the game at 1-1- in the third inning on Ethan Frey's RBI double and chased Sun Belt pitcher of the year Jacob Morrison with four runs in the fourth. Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel both had two-run singles in the big inning. And, suddenly, another victory celebration almost seemed inevitable. NOTEBOOK SKIP IN TOWN: Legendary former LSU coach and athletic director Skip Berman made it to Omaha for Sunday's game. The 87-year-old Berkman is still much revered figure in Omaha, not only for the five national championships he won but for how he promoted the CWS. And Jay Johnson was thrilled to see him. He calls his relationship with Bertman right up there with winning national championships as the best part of coaching at LSU. 'He came into the coaches' locker room today,' Johnson related. 'I knew he was coming, but it still caught me off guard for a second. 'But I was, like, Oh, we're winning today. The man with the magic is in the house.' 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When the dust cleared it left associate head coach Chad Oxidine to coach the team. 'It is what it is,' Schnall said. 'But if that warranted an ejection, man, there would be a lot of ejections.' MVP: LSU's Kade Anderson was named the CWS MVP. In 16 innings over two games in the, Kade Anderson allowed just one run on six hits with 17 strike outs. GOTTA PLAY HURT: Johnson revealed after the game that second baseman Daniel Dickinson has been playing with a broken hand since the first game of the regionals. 'Broke his hamate bone in a game he hit two homers,' Johnson said. 'Just got five hits in Omaha. It that's not toughness, I don't know what is.' GLOVE WORK: Maybe it was appropriate that the title game ended on a double play. LSU was error-free in four of its five games in the CWS. GOOD HIRE: LSU has now won a pair of national championships in Jay Johnson's four years, including two of the last three. 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RESTORING ORDER: A rarity in this postseason, but Sunday LSU went with the same lineup and batting order as in Saturday's game. No tweaking. VETERANS: Ike and Henrietta, a married couple, are the operators of the dual elevators leading to the suites and press box. They've been doing it for 62 years. They run a pair of tight ships. BY THE NUMBERS: LSU's eighth national championship gives the Tigers a 51-29 all-time record in the CWS, 187-75 in the NCAA tournament … They've won eight of nine trips to the championship round or game … The Tigers are now 16-9 in Charles Schwab field after starting 1-4 after the CWS moved there in 2011… WIRE TO WIRE: Jared Jones, Steven Milam, Derek Curiel and Daniel Dickinson were the only four Tigers to start all 68 games this year. FINALLY: Third baseman Chris Stanfield, who's in the lineup for his glove, got his first hit in Omaha in his final at-bat in the eighth inning. 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Before that performance, Wood had gone more than five innings in a start just once all season with just one start with double-digit strikeouts. LOSERS Arkansas The long dry run continues for the Razorbacks. Arkansas has now made 12 CWS appearances with two trips to the finals, tying North Carolina and Clemson for the second-most trips to Omaha without a national championship. This most recent exit stands among the most painful in program history, bested by the 2018 loss to Oregon State defined by a misplayed fly ball in foul ground. After scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead in a must-win game against LSU on Wednesday, June 18, the Razorbacks allowed a two-run double that tied the score and then a walk-off single to loss 6-5. North Carolina The Tar Heels suffered maybe the most brutal loss of the super regionals in giving away the elimination game against Arizona. Ahead 3-1 heading into the eighth inning thanks to a three-run homer from senior Jackson Van De Brake, UNC coughed away the lead with a pair of errors on the infield. The first, on a grounder booted by Van De Brake, cost the Tar Heels a possible double play. After a pitching change, UNC committed a throwing error on the Wildcats' bunt attempt to move runners over, allowing a run to score. Another pitching change resulted in a two-run single that gave Arizona the lead and eventually the World Series berth. Kevin Schnall The former Coastal assistant pushed all the right buttons in piloting the Chanticleers to a record-setting win streak and to the doorstep of another national championship. But his ejection on Sunday threatens to overwrite his deft touch in reaching that point. Was he trying to motivate his team and raise the Chanticleers' energy after a tough-to-swallow defeat in the opener? While that might have been his intent, Coastal continued to play listlessly the rest of the way, especially at the plate. Advertisement The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College World Series winners and losers: LSU takes NCAA baseball title
USA Today
5 hours ago
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Clemson 2026 cornerback target Danny Odem announces commitment date
Clemson is all over The Athletic's Top 25 ACC football players for the 2025 season Clemson football is in the mix for another highly touted defensive back, but it appears the Tigers may be on the outside looking in as four-star cornerback Danny Odem prepares to announce his commitment Monday evening. Odem, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound standout from Orlando (Fla.) The First Academy, is set to choose between Clemson, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State at 5 p.m. ET. While the Tigers are among the finalists, On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine currently lists Penn State as the leader. Odem took official visits to four of his finalists — Nebraska, Penn State, Oklahoma, and Ohio State — but Clemson is the only one that didn't receive an official visit, despite hosting him on campus for a May 30 unofficial. Odem, who is ranked the No. 247 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports and No. 8 cornerback by Rivals, was previously committed to North Carolina before reopening his recruitment in December. He holds over 50 scholarship offers, making his decision one of the more closely watched in this cycle. Even if Clemson misses out, the Tigers are still in solid shape in the secondary for 2026. Dabo Swinney's program already holds commitments from four-star safeties Kentavion Anderson and Kaden Gebhardt, along with three-star corners Shavar Young Jr. and Marcell Gipson. Clemson remains in the hunt for other blue-chip defenders like four-star safeties Tylan Wilson and Blake Stewart. The Tigers' 19-member 2026 recruiting class ranks among the top 10 nationally, including a No. 4 ranking by ESPN. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
