Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin may not be an advocate of the transfer portal regulations, but he certainly knows how to implement it. Over the past two seasons, Kiffin has brought in two high-quality transfer portal classes, resulting in two solid double-digit winning seasons.
We have heard from players who have transferred to Oxford about why Ole Miss was the right place, with many saying it feels like home. Princely Umanmielen, whose younger brother Princewill transferred this season, said he was being coached better under Kiffin and his staff than in Florida after his transfer.
Caleb Odom, who transferred to the Rebels from Alabama in December, has spoken about his decision to move. His answer at his recent press conference had many similarities to those of other players.
"I wanted to be somewhere I felt wanted and needed, and felt comfortable. So, having a relationship with Ole Miss out of high school, them being my second choice. It made sense for me to come back up here to know Coach McDonald and talk to Coach Kiffin, and that made it easier."Caleb Odom
Odom was a 2024 recruit and ranked a four-star player. As mentioned, he had Ole Miss and Alabama as his final possible destinations, but he chose the Crimson Tide with Nick Saban as a heavy part of his recruiting. Kalen DeBoer took over when Saban retired, and Odom did not see much time on the field in his first season.
The Georgia native has spoken about his excitement for the upcoming season and is looking forward to linking up with quarterback Austin Simmons.
"Yeah, I think we have a great relationship (Austin Simmons). I think Austin is a really cool guy; we have a similar mindset of just wanting to get better every day. I think playing with him, playing with a lefty, he has a lot of zip on him, but i think he can really sling it/"Caleb Odom