Alabama’s roster got a late summer twist on Sunday with the unexpected addition of JUCO linebacker Bubba Odom, a name that hadn’t been publicly tied to the Crimson Tide before the official roster update.
Odom comes to Tuscaloosa from East Mississippi Community College, with prior stops at Northern Arizona and the JUCO powerhouse made famous by Last Chance U. Alabama lists him as a senior, and the updated five-for-five rules should leave him with two years of eligibility remaining. He’s a native of Jasper, Ala., and is listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds.
The move gives Alabama another body in a spot that already looked a little lean after spring. Odom is listed as a linebacker, but the expectation is that he’ll help fill out the Wolf linebacker room and provide depth on the edge. That group already includes Yhonzae Pierre and Justin Hill, both back from last season, along with South Carolina transfer Desmond Umeozulu and five-star freshman Xavier Griffin.
Umeozulu could also spend time at Bandit defensive end, while Griffin brings the kind of versatility Alabama likes because he can work both on and off the ball. Even so, the freshman is expected to get most of his chances as a pass rusher. Alabama also has veteran Jah-Marien Latham, a seventh-year senior who can give the defense a bigger edge presence in certain packages, though injuries have been a recurring issue for him.
Former Alabama EDGE Christian Miller offered a breakdown of Odom’s East Mississippi film, calling him a “Physical player at the point of attack who doesn’t shy away from contact and consistently plays with a high motor.” Miller also noted that Odom “Shows good hand usage and does a nice job utilizing length to…”
Odom doesn’t project as someone who’s going to walk in and challenge for a starting job, but Alabama clearly sees value in the addition. With scholarship limits rising to 105, there’s room for experienced depth pieces like this, especially when a roster spot is open. And in Kane Wommack’s system, where Bandit and Wolf can overlap, Odom could end up working between those roles and finding a lane on earlier downs.
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