Despite all of the changes this offseason, it looks like the Alabama Crimson Tide are still in great hands.
With the start of fall camp under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, two freshmen wide receivers are already turning heads of local beat reporters. Nick Kelly with AL.com had some positive things to say about both Ryan Williams and Caleb Odom, who are entering their first college seasons.
"Freshman Caleb Odom stood out almost immediately," Kelly wrote. "Much of that has to do with the fact he’s a big receiver...But he looks like a man among boys when he stands around the receivers. He’s not just big, though. He’s athletic and uses his length to make plays. Toward the end of the viewing period, Odom made a leaping catch along the sideline. He frequently deployed his long arms to help make plays."
Odom was a 4-star recruit, but was initially listed as a tight end coming out of high school in Carrolton, Georgia. A 6-foot-5, 215-pound receiver, Odom has a unique body type to make him an intriguing weapon to watch for the Crimson Tide.
Meanwhile, 5-star wideout Ryan Williams is already living up to the lofty expectations of being a national top-10 recruit in the 2024 class. Kelly mentioned that Williams' athleticism was on full display while using his length to make full-extension grabs, including the one below that he posted to X.
Spent all of our media viewing period of Alabama football practice watching Ryan Williams (No. 2). Here’s one clip. I’ll have more of what else I saw soon at @aldotcom pic.twitter.com/M5OFO8dYc5
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) July 31, 2024
Alabama will need some young receivers to step up in 2024. Along with Jermaine Burton leaving for the NFL, the Crimson Tide also lost speedster Isaiah Bond, who transferred to the Texas Longhorns.
Junior receivers Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law will be expected to carry the load and be top targets for Jalen Milroe. However, if fall camp continues to go well for them, expect both Odom and Williams to find their way onto the field as true freshmen in 2024.
