O'Donnell Fortune

* 2023 Spring Defense Most Improved Award

Veteran defensive back who figures to enter the season holding down one of the starting cornerback positions… considered the top cover corner of the returning players… has appeared in 31 games over his four-year career with 11 starts… has intercepted four passes.

2023 (Redshirt Junior)
Appeared in 11 games making 10 starts at cornerback… did not play against Kentucky and did not start at Texas A&M… finished seventh on the squad with 39 tackles… credited with six pass breakups and two interceptions… intercepted Drake Maye in the season opener against North Carolina… also had a a key interception in the closing minutes of the Jacksonville State game to ice the win… posted a career-high six tackles on three occasions – North Carolina, Mississippi State and Clemson… also had a tackle for loss against Clemson… recognized with the Most Improved Award for the defense during the spring of 2023.

2022 (Redshirt Sophomore)
Appeared in nine games including a start in the season finale against Notre Dame in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl… credited with 16 tackles including 13 solo stops… logged a pair of pass interceptions and forced one fumble… set a career high in tackles against Georgia with four… notched two tackles, his first career interception and first career forced fumble in the win at Vanderbilt… returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Notre Dame… the return tied for the second-longest in school history and for the longest since 1997.

2021 (Redshirt Freshman)
Appeared in eight games… recorded three tackles… credited with two of his three stops against Auburn… recovered a fumble at Georgia.

2020 (Freshman)
Enrolled in January and went through the abbreviated spring drills… began the spring working at safety but was moved to cornerback… saw action in each of the final three games of the season… credited with three tackles, all coming in the season finale at Kentucky… redshirted.

HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Sumter (S.C.) High School mid-year and enrolled at South Carolina in January 2020… played both cornerback and safety… also handled punt and kickoff returns… logged 42 tackles with five tackles for loss and three interceptions as a senior… the Fighting Gamecocks posted a 10-1 record in 2019, falling in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs… named first team all-state by the South Carolina coaches… selected to the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas… as a junior in 2018, he led Sumter with five interceptions along with 48 tackles, three tackles for loss and one fumble recovery… collected 84 career tackles with eight tackles for loss and eight interceptions… coached by Mark Barnes… also played basketball and competed on the track & field team in the sprints and jumps… Rivals considered him the 13th-best player in the Palmetto State… ranked as the 11th-best player in South Carolina, the 57th-best safety in the country and No. 747 overall in the 247Sports Composite.

PERSONAL
O’Donnell Omari Fortune was born Sept. 8, 2001… is pursuing a degree in services management.