Why the Tight End Spot is the Biggest Question for Ole Miss Football

How Caleb Odom will be a crucial part of the Ole Miss offense.

Mississippi Rebels tight end Caleb Odom runs after a catch during the third quarter against The Citadel Bulldogs | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Last year, the Rebels' offense featured now Philadelphia Eagle Dae’Quan Wright at tight end.

He had a great season for the Rebels last year, hauling in 39 catches for 635 yards and 5 touchdowns. However, the question is “who will replace him now that he has graduated?”

Ole Miss Rebels tight end Dae'Quan Wright celebrates his touchdown catch against the Miami Hurricanes | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Odom's Production Last Year

That man is Caleb Odom. Odom is a Junior from Carrollton, Georgia, who previously played at the University of Alabama.

Odom is in his second year at Ole Miss, where he is looking for a breakout season. He finished his sophomore campaign with 19 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns. That's not bad for a second-string tight end who was usually not the primary target.

New Scheme With A Familiar Flare

The Rebels will have a new offensive coordinator at the helm. John David Baker, who was the former co-offensive coordinator and tight end coach for the Rebels, will look to feature some of what worked so well last year in his offense this year.

An element that worked for Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis’ Rebels offense last year was the use of a tight end in the flat. Last year, Wright would motion pre-snap and then run out to an open part of the field, where Trinidad Chambliss would find him on his roll-out.

This play was run many times last year and was used to get a lot of important first downs for the Rebels. With a big frame, Odom is a perfect target for that play this season, and Chambliss should have no trouble finding him and getting the ball to him in open space.

Mississippi Rebels tight end Caleb Odom catches a two point conversion against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Baker also shared at a press conference how this year's offense will differ slightly from last season's.

“If we can run the football, especially in this league, it is going to open up the other things we can do. But yeah, the air raid piece has gone away for me for a while now, especially after coaching tight ends for four years now… this game starts in the run game and always will."  

This means Odom will also be heavily featured in blocking assignments. Odom has experience with this and will be crucial to Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacey's production and, in turn, the Rebels' offense as a whole.  

Under a new staff, the tight end role will be even more important than it was last year. Caleb Odom has some big shoes to fill after Wright's departure, but he has the attributes to do it and be a solid tight end one for the Rebels.

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