Dabo Swinney, Clemson miss out on priority 4-star CB target

Monday was a tough day for Dabo Swinney and Clemson.

While the Tigers have been killing it on the recruiting trail, this was one of the first lost recruiting battles for Swinney in the 2026 cycle for a guy who I believed could come in with the class and compete for playing time right away.

Danny Odem was choosing between programs like Penn State, Clemson, and Nebraska, among others, on Monday evening, and he announced that he'd be joining Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers.

Not only did Odem choose Nebraska over Clemson and Penn State, but he said 'no thanks' to Ohio State and Oklahoma, too. It's kind of a wild choice to pick Nebraska over four college football powerhouses, but Odem developed a strong relationship with Rhule and the Cornhuskers which ultimately led to his commitment.

Odem was at Clemson on May 30 and it looked like he was going to feed off the other blue-chippers in attendance and team up. However, Nebraska got the last visit and the rest was history.

The Orlando, Fla., native is going to join a Nebraska program that is desperate to climb out of the "irrelevant" phase and into the contention one. Landing guys like Odem will help Rhule do just that, but this is merely a start.

As for Clemson, it will be just fine. Missing out on the nation's No. 247 overall recruit and 22nd-best cornerback hurts, but Dabo has plenty of options at the position. Clemson is going to recruit at an elite level still and won't rely heavily on one four-star to spark change.

Onto the next.