The Alabama football team entered spring practice lacking experience at the wide receiver position, with Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice and transfer Germie Bernard having seen the most game action. And while freshman Caleb Odom might not offer anything in the experience department, he’s at least added to the competition from a numbers standpoint with a move from tight end to wide receiver.
Odom (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) also gives the Crimson Tide a different look at the position with his height and catch radius. He’s now the tallest receiver on the roster, which figures to complement Alabama’s shorter, quicker receivers such as Law and Prentice.
New offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan sees high potential in Odom.
“I think with Caleb, we’re just trying to put him in a position to be successful early on in his career. You know he’s a big kid. He’s very athletic. He’s very explosive. He has a great frame,” Sheridan said. “How his body grows and what he turns into being when he’s 20, 21, 22 years old, I think time will tell. He certainly runs plenty good enough to play wide receiver. He runs very well, he’s a big target. So we just tried to put him in a position early on, to not try to run into 275-pound people, you know, put him in a position so he can have success.”
Alabama has several tight ends, despite losing Amari Niblack to the transfer portal, which makes Odom’s move all the more sensible. C.J. Dippre returns for his second season with plenty of game experience, as does Robbie Ouzts. Alabama has also added Josh Cuevas, a tight end who understands new head coach Kalen DeBoer’s offense in coming from Washington, and returns Danny Lewis Jr. at tight end as well.
“Obviously we had a chance to watch some bowl prep (practice film) when we first got here. There are moments of him competing at a high level against really good competition in his time here at Alabama,” Sheridan added. “Transition to spring, he’s got a long way to go, a lot to learn, but he’s eager. He’s willing. Likes to be coached, cares about football. So we’re excited about him for sure.”
Freshman speedster Ryan Williams, a five-star recruit, will add competition to the receiver position when he joins the team this summer.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
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