Odunze Is Enjoying a Hair-Raising Season for Apple Cup-Bound Huskies

The receiver talks about big numbers, Jalen McMillan and his grooming.

So personable and well-spoken, Rome Odunze always has resembled a colorful character for the University of Washington football team, but in preparing for the 114th playing of the Apple Cup he showed up with a look we hadn't seen before.

Keeping with the game's fruity theme, call him Golden Delicious.

Coming out of Tuesday's Husky workout, Odunze, rather than tight braides, had a full-blown explosion of brightly colored follicles that almost took him all the way back to the 1970s, giving off almost a Jimi Hendrix vibe.

"I got it flowing right now," he said of his hair. "It's a little wilder than I like. I need to pick it out and kind of get a little symmetrical 'fro going on, but after practice it's hard to contain."

The same could be said to describe the play of this sophomore from Las Vegas who has become one of college football's more prolific wide receivers, as well as one of its trend-setting fashionistas. 

The 6-foot-3, 201-pound Odunze heads to Pullman with the 12th-ranked Huskies (9-2 overall, 6-2 Pac-12) to face Washington State (7-4, 4-4) on Saturday night having enjoyed a season more befitting of his considerable size and skills, and currently leads the conference in receiving yards per game with 93.1.

He and Jalen McMillan have taken full advantage of the new DeBoer/Grubb spread offense that promises nonstop passes, points and yards. He and his fellow pass-catcher are running neck and neck in generating receiving stats.

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                             G   Rec  Yds   Avg  TD  Lg  Avg/G

Rome Odunze.   10   65   931   14.3   6   61    93.1

Jalen McMillan   11   65   890  13.7    7   84   80.9

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While good friends, teammates and fellow starters, it still seems uncanny that they each have the same amount of Husky receptions entering the final week of the regular season, with their other numbers not far off.

"I wouldn't say surprising," Odunze said. "I think we've both worked hard and, like this offensive coaching staff, they've proved game in and game out they're going to get us the ball and we're going to have to make plays for this offensive role and being in such a passing offense."

But, yes, it's a little unique they're dead even in catches so late in the season.

"It just goes to show how similar we are, the work effort we put in and the same page we're on," Odunze said of his fellow sophomore running mate.

And they do a little more than that, too. While McMillan has added punt returns to his list of game-day duties, Odunze showed up as a deep safety in a final-play prevent defense used to preserve the 37-34 victory at Oregon two weeks ago.

Odunze has no complaints. His team is winning. He's being used as a receiver to the max. People are noticing him and McMillan.

He just has to get that hair under control that approaches former UW basketball guard Marcus Tsohonis for its creativity and flair. Or maybe not.

"There's been some crazy styles that have rolled through here," Oduneze said with a smile. "They may have to add me to the list after it's all said and done."

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