The Penn State football team currently has three cornerbacks committed from the class of 2026. Amauri Polydor, Jaziel Hart, and Julian Peterson are all three-stars that decided on the Nittany Lions beginning in January.
Monday, June 23 at 5 p.m. EST will determine whether Penn State stays at a 20-player class with three cornerbacks or bumps up to 21 commits with four.
Danny Odem will announce his commitment decision on June 23 at 5 p.m. EST
The four-star from Orlando, Fla. is the No. 253 overall recruit in No. 22 overall cornerback in the country. Odem is also the No. 40 student-athlete out of his state.
The road to land Odem, though, isn't smooth sailing. According to his post on X, announcing when he will declare his commitment, the rising senior has a top five for his finalists. Unlike a majority of recruits who narrow their decisions down to two or three as their commitment date nears, Odem left his options open.
Tomorrow 5pm!!👀👀@Royals__FB @CoachBroomfield @1NEStep_SP @Diondraecampbe2 pic.twitter.com/sq6tP4lbk6
— Danny Odem (@DannyOdem3) June 22, 2025
The Nittany Lions will have to beat out Nebraska, Clemson, Oklahoma, and reigning College Football Playoff champion Ohio State. As of now, both the Tigers' and Buckeyes' classes of 2026 rank above Penn State's. The Nittany Lions have been set at No. 7 for a majority of the recruitment season, Clemson is right above at No. 6, and both follow behind No. 5 Ohio State.
His high school teammate at The First Academy in Florida, Chancellor Barclay, has been committed to Clemson since March 9. He was another recruit, among 29 others, who Penn State extended an offer to.
Odem had an official visit lined up with Nebraska over the weekend on June 20, so his official visit to Penn State happened midweek on June 17. However, all five schools have been adamant on recruiting the high-end cornerback, especially with official visit season coming to a close.
247Sports Andrew Ivins wrote in Odem's scouting report:
"Young corner with the size-speed combination that everyone wants on the perimeter. Pairs the physical traits with active eyes and high-end ball skills as he can jump routes and locate the football in the deeper third . . . Comfortable working in off-man coverage as a zone defender, but has the agility and physicality to be effective in press-man coverage. Tends to be the aggressor in run support as he will fight through blocks and try to shrink escape lanes. Ambitious play style can lead to penalties . . . but should be viewed as a potential impact player at the Power Four level that can fit into a variety of different schemes and roles . . . he’s far from a complete product and could take major developmental strides with proper seasoning."
From 2023-24, Odem was named Player of the Game 10 times throughout the season, according to MaxPreps. He originally was a wide receiver, but added time as a defensive back during his second year on varsity. In his most recent season, he tallied 22 solo tackles, 23 assisted tackles, and two interceptions. As wide receiver, he had five receptions for 40 yards, but was evidently used less on offense given his 50 receptions for 613 yards the season prior.
While head coach James Franklin has three cornerbacks already committed, he's coming off an unideal week of recruitment. He lost out on a different four-star cornerback, Khary Adams, to Notre Dame on June 20. The Nittany Lions also failed to get Joey O'Brien, Grayson McKeogh, and Luke Wafle to commit.