OXFORD, Miss. — Meet the Rebels week is here as Ole Miss football draws near to the end of spring practice, and Lane Kiffin and his coaching staff continue development of the team heading into the summer.
Kiffin, along with new transfers Caleb Odom and Tahj Chambers, met with the media on Tuesday to provide the latest updates, which can be found below in this week’s Oxford Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine practice report.
Scrimmage in the Vaught
Ole Miss scrimmaged at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this past Friday, altering the schedule from a planned Saturday meeting due to inclement weather. Kiffin said the in-stadium scrimmage was valuable for his staff’s ongoing evaluations.
“A lot of plays. A lot of things out there for evaluation,” Kiffin said. “Just continuing to try to evaluate with so many new players, especially defensively, so it was really good to go into the stadium and try to create a game-ish atmosphere. That was good, we’ll continue to try to do that and keep pushing on.”
Following the scrimmage, the Rebel coaching staff turned to tackling as the key development point in practice on Tuesday.
“I’m pleased with guys’ effort,” Kiffin said. “We worked on tackling today, different drills in full pads, and they did a really good job. Excited about this group and continuing to work with them.”
Odom Home in Oxford
Similar to Kewan Lacy, who shared his story with the media last week, Caleb Odom was heavily pursued by Ole Miss out of high school last year, and after a year elsewhere in the SEC, he finally made it to Oxford.
“Ultimately, I just wanted to be somewhere I felt wanted and needed and felt comfortable,” Odom said. “Having a relationship with Ole Miss out of high school, them being my second choice, it made sense to come back up here and get to know Coach McDonald and get back up here to see Coach Kiffin and just talk to them. That made it easier.”
Out of high school, Odom was a 5-star prospect and the No. 30 player in the nation according to On3. After signing with Alabama, he had seven catches for 65 yards in four non-conference games as a freshman, and now he’s excited to work with Austin Simmons in the Ole Miss passing game.
“I think we have a great relationship. I think Austin is a really cool guy. We all have a similar mindset of just wanting to get better every day,” Odom said. “Playing with him, playing with a lefty, he has a lot of zip on it. I think he can really sling it. It’s very beneficial to play with him, and I think he gets me better every day.”
Line of Linebackers
Tahj Chambers’ story contrasts with Odom’s. Lightly recruited out of high school, Chambers signed with Missouri State and developed into an All-Conference linebacker from 2020-24. With one year of eligibility remaining, Chambers is looking to follow in the footsteps of Chris Paul Jr., Chance Campbell and other Rebel transfer linebackers who blossomed in Oxford en route to the NFL.
“When I was taking visits in the transfer portal, I was looking for a place where I can excel at my position,” Chambers said. “I feel like Ole Miss has a great D-line and is a place where linebackers are built to succeed.”
A big reason for that success, in Chambers’ eyes, is defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Pete Golding. Last year, in Golding’s second year leading the defense, Ole Miss ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring and rush defense, and Chambers is hoping to help guide the Rebels in the same direction in 2025.
“Pete Golding is a genius, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Chambers said. “Having him as the DC and the position coach helps us understand the whole defensive concept. Especially as linebackers, we can help other guys out whenever they need it.”
Information from Ole Miss Sports is included in this story
