O'Donnell Fortune

*2023 Spring Defense Most Improved Award

Cornerback who spent five years in the program, the last two as a starter… appeared in 44 games over his career with 24 starts… logged seven career interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six in the 2022 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs. Notre Dame… recorded 108 career tackles.

2024 (Redshirt Senior)
Started all 13 games in his final season in the Garnet & Black… recorded 47 tackles of which 41 were solo stops including a pair of tackles for loss… recorded three interceptions and broke up three passes… also forced a fumble… recorded at least three tackles in nine of 13 games… opened the season with four tackles and an interception against Old Dominion… posted a career-high nine tackles including a TFL and an interception at Alabama… notched four tackles and a pick in the win over Texas A&M… had five tackles in the win at Clemson, putting him over the century mark in career stops… played in the Hula Bowl following the season.

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 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 in 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 in December 2019… played cornerback and safety and 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, led Sumter with five picks along with 48 tackles, three tackles for loss and one fumble recovery… collected 84 career tackles with eight TFLs and eight interceptions… coached by Mark Barnes… also played basketball and competed on the track & field team… 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… graduated in December 2023 with a degree in services management.