The Nebraska football coaching staff was plenty happy when Danny Odem signed on the dotted line. Towards the end of his recruiting, there were whispers he might head elsewhere, but he remained loyal to the Huskers. Not that he could push to be either a starter or someone who gets a ton of playing time off the bench in 2026. One reason he's impressing his coaches is that he's worked hard on beefing up his body ahead of his first season in the Big Ten.
When Odem signed with NU last December, he weighed in at 180 pounds to go along with his 6-foot frame. This spring, he's clearly worked hard to add some bulk to his body, and onlookers believe he might be just shy of 200 pounds.
Already a talented on-ball defender with good speed, Odem packing on nearly 20 pounds will make him a much better tackler, and it has caught the eye of Nebraska coaches. Earlier this week, position coach Addison Williams said Odem is a real contender for a starting job opposite Andrew Marshall.
"He's a guy that just wants to come to work and not worry about the expectations of being a five star coming in," Williams said of Odem. "It’s been good to see him put his head down and work."
The true freshman is also impressing his teammates. Transfer wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer said Odem's approach has stood out in practice from the other side of the ball.
"He’s definitely going to be one of them cats that shows out this year. He got that grit, I'm not gonna lie. You don't see a lot of boys ready to go in there head down and smack someone."
Head coach Matt Rhule had similar glowing comments about the cornerback and agreed with Williams that there's a very real chance Odem could see a starting role for Nebraska.
"Danny is really talented. He's a big player for a freshman. He's competing to play. We didn't bring him here to sit. He's humble, he works really hard, he's a gym rat and then when he goes out there he likes to compete. He's certainly a guy who is in the mix."