O'Donnell Fortune embracing starting role for Gator Bowl
South Carolina’s cornerback room will look almost unrecognizable to fans come Friday when the Gamecocks face off with Notre Dame in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The departures of Cam Smith and Darius Rush to the NFL draft has solidified the likes of Marcellas Dial and O’Donnell Fortune as the starting corners for the bowl matchup.
Dial has started nine games this season, but Fortune will be preparing for just the second start of his entire career.
“He’ll have a huge role in the bowl game,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said last week. “He’ll be a guy that would have to go out there and step up his play and he has the talent. He has the ability. It’s all about being consistent.”
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Fortune came into this season with high expectations from defensive backs coach Torian Gray, who expected Fortune to take the biggest jump of players at that position this season.
With Rush and Smith off to bigger and better things, White said it’s “now or never” for Fortune.
The one game that Fortune started this season for South Carolina was early in the season against Charlotte. All those weeks later, he said he hasn’t had to go through any major adjustments while he prepares for his start.
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“There’s no adjustment. It’s just being ready for my name to be called,” Fortune said. “So now it’s here…I’ve got an opportunity and I gotta take advantage of it.”
White said he’s seen lots of growth from Fortune this year. In 2022, Fortune totaled 14 tackles, one forced fumble, one pass deflection and an interception.
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Fortune’s Pro Football Focus grade of 65.3 is the eighth best of any South Carolina defensive player with at least 50 snaps.
“I truly feel like he has grown throughout the year and he’s now just being himself and it’s cool to see like,” White said, “if he’s not like all of a sudden trying to do too much”
Being behind Rush and Smith has given Fortune plenty of opportunities to learn throughout the last few seasons. He said they’ve helped me stay focused and locked in this year and that he;s picked apart their games.
“I get to pick different keys from different players,” Fortune said. “I get to pick different styles and how they play and put it towards mine to make it even better.”
While Rush and Smith’s departures are leaving a hole on the field. It’s also leaving one in the locker room. Fortune said he’s fully embraced a leadership role since the bowl season has started.
“It’s a big role for me,” Fortune said. “Knowing that Cam and Rush are going to the league to do big things, I’ve got a big role to step up and show these freshmen and show these young guys how to do it.”
