Alabama freshman Caleb Odom 'happy' to be back at wide receiver

Alabama freshman Caleb Odom made the switch from tight end to wide receiver in the spring and was praised by his new coaches and teammates for the position change. For anyone who may still wonder whether it was a permanent move or not, Odom provided an answer.

“I’m a wide receiver. I’m a taker,” Odom told the Crimson Tide Sports Network.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound newcomer continued, “I’ve never really played tight end, to be quite honest. Throughout high school, I never took one snap at tight end. They just kind of had me at tight end. So I was gonna come up here and play tight end. It would be my first time ever playing tight end for Coach Saban, and then obviously, what happened happened.

“And then Coach Shephard and Coach DeBoer came in and they saw what I could really do from my practice clips in the bowl prep. So they were like, ‘We’ve gotta put this guy back at wide receiver.’ They did, and I’m definitely happy because that’s where I feel most comfortable.”

A two-sport star at Carrollton High School in Georgia, Odom was considered a 5-star recruit and the nation’s No. 1 tight end in the 2024 cycle, according to On3’s final class rankings. Odom joined the Alabama football program in December as an early enrollee and traveled to California for the Rose Bowl, where he generated positive buzz on the scout team.

Shortly after his first road trip as a member of the Tide, former head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement. But rather than look elsewhere, Odom remained firm with UA.

“I came here because it’s the University of Alabama and because I knew, here, I could make it to the NFL,” Odom said. “It never crossed my mind. I called my mom after Saban retired and then she almost started crying. She was like, ‘What does this mean for you?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, mom. All I know is I’m locked in.’

“It’s been a business for me, but when I made this commitment, I made it and I never thought about flipping once.”

Two days after Saban retired, Odom and Alabama had a new head coach, with the Tide hiring Kalen DeBoer from Washington. DeBoer led the Huskies to the national championship game in his second season in Seattle and coached one of the nation’s most prolific offenses. 

UW’s wide receiver play was particularly intriguing to Odom, who saw Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan prosper before being selected in the top 100 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft. Now playing for DeBoer and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, Odom liked what he saw from the Huskies last year and feels like he can make similar plays.

“Over the weeks after they got hired, I would just be on YouTube watching all the ESPN highlights of every game of their season,” Odom said. “I’ve watched the Oregon games like five times, watched the Oregon State game. 

“So I’ve definitely seen where I can see myself making the same plays that maybe Rome made, and I can definitely see myself being able to make an impact in the offense, for sure.”

To catch Odom’s entire conversation with Roger Hoover of the CTSN, CLICK HERE.

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