Alabama's Highly-Touted Freshman Caleb Odom 'Happy' With Move Made By Kalen DeBoer
Despite the fact that Nick Saban retired, Alabama under Kalen DeBoer was still able to maintain a majority of their 2024 recruting class.
A strong class that 247Sports ranks as the No. 2 class in the country, and one of the newcomers that DeBoer is surely thrilled that he stayed, is four-star tight Caleb Odom. At least that what the recruiting sites had his position listed as, but for DeBoer and the Tide, Odom will be returning to receiver which is where he played in high school.
A move that he seemed to be confident with, and quite thrilled with based on an interview he did with Crimson Tide Sports Network.
“I’m a wide receiver. I’m a taker,” Odom said.
Alabama Helmet
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
He also expressed that he has never played tight end, but was willing to try if that's what the staff had wanted.
“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.”
Odom, who was ranked as the No. 99 recruit in the nation also opened up about his thought process following Saban's retirement. A move that had his mother in tears initially.
“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.’
With Alabama's wide receiver room experiencing a ton of attrition, Odom will have a chance to contend for a starting or key role immediately. He also offers the Tide a mathcup nightmare at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds.
