Transfer WR Caleb Odom Embracing Position Changes and Competition at Ole Miss: ‘Anywhere they put me, I’m going to give it my all’
OXFORD, Miss. — As the Rebels finished practice on Friday, now two weeks into fall camp, Alabama transfer wide receiver Caleb Odom spoke to the media along with linebacker Tyler Banks and defensive tackle Jamarious Brown.
Here’s what all Odom had to say regarding a move to the tight end room and making progress through camp.
It’s clear Odom is willing to do anything his team asks of him.
“I’m just doing whatever they tell me to do, being available to play all positions, just so I can be a playmaker from anywhere on the field,” Odom said.
“Anywhere they put me, I’m going to give it my all, know what to do, and make plays for sure.”
Caleb Odom
Coming out of high school, Odom was ranked as the No. 2 TE in the country before the Alabama coaching staff moved him to wide receiver. It was assumed he’d continue in that position with the Rebels, but with tight end Luke Hasz’s recent injury, Odom is now seeing some action with the tight ends.
“Just going out there and being able to make plays,” Odom said of his ability to play tight end.
“Things like catch radius, things like length, size, speed, I feel like I can play [tight end]. Being in there with those guys, Dae’Quan [Wright] and Trace Bruckler, they’re all good, we all have different specialties.“
Caleb Odom on playing with the tight ends
His versatility will help make up for what the Rebels are missing with Hasz’s injury, and Odom’s size and talent put him in good position to be successful at tight end for however long the coaching staff needs him to be.
Competition with the defense in camp
“It’s a competition every day, for sure. They got dogs on that side,” Odoms said of Pete Golding’s group. “All types of size, speed, and different body types, out there on the defensive side, so it’s definitely competition every day.”
Odom has the skillset and attributes to succeed, as previously mentioned, and it bodes well when he and others on a very talented offense are talking about how competitive and strong the defense is. The offense has received most of the attention leading into all camp, but perhaps some of it should have been directed to the other side.
Goals as camp continues
“Obviously, staying in and out of the treatment room, I feel like making sure my body is right this whole month and just before the first game starts is going to be most important,” Odom said.
“Steadily staying in the playbook, I want to be a guy that’s able to play a lot of positions on the field, so staying in the playbook, making sure I know what to do, is going to be big for me.”
Caleb Odom
It does seem as though Odom is embracing whatever role is given to him, which speaks to the culture the Rebels continue to build. Of course Odom is capable of doing great things on the field, but with even more work, learning, and practice, he could be a monster for Ole Miss at TE this season.
Odom will be just one of many new receivers on an Ole Miss team that is destined to be successful. The team now has three wide receivers on the Biletnikoff Award watch list in Harrison Wallace, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Cayden Lee. With plenty of others capable of being a weapon for new starting quarterback Austin Simmons, Ole Miss has the potential to have a great year on offense, despite losing nine starters.
Fans can see just how successful Ole Miss will be to start the season when the Rebels face the Georgia State Panthers on Aug. 30 at 6:45 PM CT on SEC Network, one week before they start SEC play against Kentucky.
Noah Scoggins
Noah is from Killeen, Texas, and graduated from Early College High School. He grew up in the Birmingham, Alabama, area and is now a second-year senior at the University of Alabama and will graduate in the spring. He is currently majoring in news media with a focus in sports media, as well as a minor in criminal justice. Noah has always loved and been passionate about college athletics and wants to share his love for sports.
