The Five-Star Recruit Who Could Have an Immediate Impact on Nebraska

Perhaps one of the biggest questions facing the Nebraska Cornhuskers is whether Rob Aurich, the new defensive coordinator, can keep Nebraska's secondary elite. The Huskers lost several key components of an elite secondary, and as they look to replace players like Ceyair Wright and Deshon Singleton, one name stands out: Danny Odem. Odem is a five-star recruit, cornerback who will be a true freshman- but that doesn't mean he can't have a massive impact next season.

Nebraska's secondary looks pretty good and remains underrated

First, it's important to see what the secondary looks like coming into the season. The new 4-2-5 defense will likely feature a couple of safeties and corners, as well as a hybrid linebacker-defensive back. For now, the safeties are Rex Guthrie and Dwayne McDougle. Guthrie was very impressive in his freshman season last year and seems to be a tackle machine. Nebraska, meanwhile, added McDougle, a potential X-factor who racked up four interceptions with the San Diego State Aztecs last season. Those two are pretty good safeties who are joined by the two starting CBs in Andrew Marshall and Donovan Jones. Marshall is an absolutely great player who transferred from the Idaho Vandals to Nebraska and immediately thrived- it's no surprise he is CB1. CB2 is Jones, who like Guthrie, played as freshman in 2025.

Again, like Guthrie, Jones was amazing, and he can be an X-factor on the new Husker defense. The Huskers' depth at the CB position is also great, with, of course, Odem now joining the CB room. With Jones, Guthrie, McDougle, and Marshall, Nebraska's secondary is, for the most part, rounded out. However, Odem could still be massive if there are any injury issues and if Nebraska wishes to play him more often than the average true freshman. To put it simply, it hasn't been talked about enough that Nebraska had the second-best secondary in the nation. Nebraska lost some players but also added a couple of elite guys as well, including Odem.

How does Nebraska's secondary look different from the 3-3-5 to 4-2-5, and where does Odem fit?

The Huskers now have a defense focused more on stopping the run, leaving the question: What does their defense look like now? Odem will have to fight for playing time at CB, but what about the two linebackers and the hybrid? The two LBs are easily Owen Chambliss, who did amazing things at SDSU last season, and Vincent Shavers Jr., who is Nebraska's best returning LB. The hybrid will be up for grabs, but Odem is more of a CB, so it will probably fall into the hands of a fast and athletic LB. A healthy Dawson Merritt, for example, who was almost a five-star recruit himself, could be a very good hybrid.

Odem will probably have to fight for CB3 or CB4, as there are still some CBs who could compete for those important depth positions. If there was a freshman to do it, though, it would probably be the No. 2 CB in the whole nation coming out of high school. Nebraska certainly has its top CB in Marshall, while Jones is likely the corner No.2, but Odem can definitely climb the depth chart and be among the better guys there. Nebraska should be excited to see how great their defense can be in the 2026 season with someone like Odem helping out their cornerback position.

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