Florida Going 'Head-to-Head' With Alabama For WR Caleb Odom
From the outside looking in, Florida "reemerged" in Carrollton (Ga.) High pass-catcher Caleb Odom's recruitment in May. Not originally included in his April top 12 programs, the Gators secured a spot in Odom's top seven the next month thanks to the efforts of three coaches, two of which had only recently entered the fold.
Now, head coach Billy Napier and new Gators assistants, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales and tight ends coach Russ Callaway, have pushed UF toward the top of Odom's personal school rankings in the wake of his June 9-11 official visit.
Gonzales and Callaway were influential in setting up the trip and getting back into the good graces of Odom's recruitment, the prospect suggested. He broke the news of the trip the day it began.
"I would just say they kept pushing me. They were always trying to talk to me, text me. They were texting my mom. They were pushing hard to schedule this OV," Odom shared with All Gators. "So I would just say, like, the consistency really is what pushed them back in there."
It was Gonzales, in particular, who moved the needle for Odom over the weekend trip.
Although he is widely projected as a tight end at the next level given his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame, Odom prefers the wide receiver position, and Gonzales has begun recruiting him there in a versatile capacity.
Accordingly, Callaway has taken on a secondary effort to Gonzales in a team attempt to pull Odom to Florida, after former UF tight ends coach Williams Peagler served as Odom's primary recruiter prior to this offseason.
"We watched a lot of film on how I could be used in this offense," Odom said about his time with Gonzales. "It's really mostly receiver, all over the place. I can like up in an H-back. Just really everything. It's really multiple roles."
Gonzales referenced his second stint with the Gators while laying out Odom's development plan under his coaching.
The coach compared Odom's game to that of former Florida All-American tight end Kyle Pitts, who took on outside and slot receiving duties en route to 18 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons provided his gifted size and athleticism combination.
Odom hauled in 13 touchdowns during his junior campaign at Carrollton alone, to pair with 1,121 receiving yards.
"[Gonzales] had like his whole like draft layout, his stats and his height/weight draft measurements, all that laid out for me," Odom recalled. "So, like, I can kind of compare mine to his and they were similar. So he was comparing me, showing me some clips of Kyle Pitts from a couple years ago."
Finding comfort in his positional projection and establishing a legitimate bond with Florida's new assistants, Odom exited the official visit pleased by what UF has to offer. After a brief exit from his recruitment, the Gators are right back in the thick of the race for Odom's commitment.
Alabama maintains a narrow lead currently, but Florida isn't far behind. Auburn and Miami will also have opportunities to impress Odom during his official visits to those campuses later this month, as well.
"I'd say Florida is definitely pushing now. They're definitely up there for sure," Odom said, comparing his time at UF with his Alabama visit. "Those two are kind of going head-to-head right now.
"It was a great visit. Just being here in Gainesville, you know, driving around, seeing everything on campus. It really kind of felt at home."
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