A lot has happened within just two years in the Alabama Crimson Tide. They witnessed the departure of the legendary Nick Saban, coach Kalen DeBoer‘s arrival, the following mass attrition, and the ongoing rebuilding. Kalen DeBoer had a tough task to match a coach as legendary as Nick Saban. He finished the season by 9-4, not truly up to the Saban standards, but he surely had something to work for in the next year. And while Coach DeBoer is striving to take Bama to its former glory, one of their wide receivers didn’t quite feel ‘belonging’ to the team.
Yes, we are talking about Caleb Odom, the 4-star 2024 tight-end prospect who came with huge dreams at Alabama. But he wasn’t able to make the cut into the team as he finished his only season last year with 65 receiving yards in 145 snaps. He has only seven receptions over 12 total games. Something was off, and the WR hit the transfer portal after the season. In December, he had visits to Colorado and Miami. Finally, the 6 foot 5 and 227 lbs player joined Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin‘s setup. You must be wondering what happened to the freshman, and now, the dots can be connected…
“I just want to make plays. They talked to me about how they can use me all around the field. Put me in the slot. You put me in the hip or outside wide. Put me anywhere, man; I’m just trying to make plays. I think just having those conversations with them and being told how I can get the ball in my hands is ultimately what I wanted to hear. So, that helped,” said Odom.
He played as an outside wide receiver in his high school days in 2022 and still prefers that position. But can play in multiple positions, with the tight end being his primary. This is because of his sheer athleticism, natural flair with the ball, and a top speed that enables him to fit into any system like a glove. However, the major thing Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin would be getting is his ability to understand and run complex routes perfectly with incredible spatial awareness. His 2022 season in high school, where the wide receiver caught 63 passes for 1,121 yards and helped his program get 14-1, is a testament to that. The player gave his reason for joining Ole Miss quite bluntly.
“I wanted to be somewhere I felt wanted and needed and felt comfortable.” – Caleb Odom on his decision to transfer from Alabama to Ole Miss pic.twitter.com/pStQfHLoJO
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) April 8, 2025
On being asked what made Ole Miss the right fit for him in the transfer portal, Odom replied: “I think, ultimately, I just wanted to be somewhere where I felt wanted and needed, and felt comfortable. So, obviously, having a relationship with Ole Miss out of high school – them being my second choice – it made sense for me to come back up here and just get to know coach [George] McDonald and get back up here to see coach [Lane] Kiffin and really just talk to them. So yeah, it made it easier.”
Odom did have a previous relationship with Ole Miss’s passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach George McDonald. He was the coach who tried recruiting the player but was ultimately bested by Alabama. Caleb was ranked 2nd nationally in his position at the time and was 54th nationally. His rating of 95.97 at On3 also screamed ‘talent’, yet he warmed up the Bama benches the entire season. That may be because another talented true freshman, Ryan Williams, stepped up and provided a season to remember. That includes 865 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns at an impressive average of 18 yards per reception.
Caleb Odom and Austin Simmons gelling well together?
Ole Miss has so far garnered talents and prospects like shopping for lifetime supplies. The program has 23 true freshman commits, along with a whopping 24 transfers. However, the WRs are one position Lane Kiffin is stacking up quite heavily. The top WR freshman in the class is Winston Watkins Jr., who is ranked 41st in his position. In terms of transfers, Harrison Wallace joins Lane Kiffin’s camp from Penn State, Pierce Clarkson joins from Louisville Cardinals, and Deuce Alexander from Wake Forest. Still, Caleb Odom is the best transfer so far for Lane Kiffin. But the question now is: Can the wide receiver gel in and perform incredibly with Kiffin’s QB, Austin Simmons?
Odom had a take on the issue too. “I think we have a great relationship. I think Austin is a really cool guy. We all have a similar mindset of just wanting to get better every day. Playing with him, playing with a lefty, he has a lot of zips on (the football). He can really sling it, so it’s very beneficial to play with him, and I think he’s just getting me better every day.”
Simmons, redshirted in 2023 – playing no games for Ole Miss, graduated to second-string QB in 2024, and accumulated 282 passing yards. In the 2025 season, the player will have massive shoes to fill in place of Jaxson Dart, who had an incredible season last year and produced 4,279 yards at 69.3%, along with 29 touchdowns. Moreover, the QB also showed his rushing prowess as he rushed for almost 500 yards, scoring 3 touchdowns.
Now it remains to be seen if Austin Simmons can successfully make a transition and step in successfully in Dart’s place, and how the Simmons-Odom camaraderie would shape Ole Miss’ future.
The post Caleb Odom Comes Clean on Tough Alabama Decision, Months After Leaving Kalen DeBoer’s Program for SEC Rival appeared first on EssentiallySports.