Oregon Was Odunze's Coming-Out Party and There's No Turning Back

Long overdue attention is finally coming to this elite UW pass-catcher.

If people didn't know who Rome Odunze was before last weekend, ESPN's well-positioned cameras throughout Husky Stadium, Michael Penix Jr.'s powerful left arm in full wind-up and Odunze's own super reliable hands made sure everyone does now.

The rivalry game between Washington and Oregon not only was a classic duel and a made-for-TV dream matchup, it served as Odunze's long overdue coming-out party from coast to coast.

Those who claim to know the college game no longer can plead ignorance regarding this big-body wide receiver from Las Vegas becoming physically reminiscent of DK Metcalf. They can't sigh and pretend they can't place this guy simply because he doesn't pull on a uniform for some blue-blood program such as Ohio State, Georgia or USC.

In rapid-fire succession this season, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze has gone from begrudgingly drawing mention among elite FBS receivers to becoming a preseason AP All-America candidate to quite possibly convincing everyone that he' might be the best in the college game at his position. Yet none of it has come easy to him.

"Oh yeah, I've been ignored for a long time now," Odunze said this week after practice. "I think I was like the 40th receiver in my class coming out of high school. So for me, that's a big reason why I come out here and just put the work in every single day and try to put in my best ball."

As this newfound attention suddenly comes his way, Odunze's statistical record shows it's way overdue. In 31 Husky games, he's put up career numbers of 162 receptions for 2,369 yards and 17 touchdowns, 20 scores overall counting his rushing and punt-returning, including an 83-yard runback.

This season alone, Odunze has piled up 40 receptions for 736 yards and 6 TDs, hardly nation-leading numbers but impressive still because he's had to share the high-powered Husky passing attack with the exquisitely talented Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan (when healthy).

Yet his 8-catch, 128-yard, 2-touchdown showing against the Ducks, highlighted by his game-winning, 18-yard scoring grab with 1:38 left to play, has brought him a lot of added attention.

On both TD plays in the UW's deeply satisfying 36-33 victory over its rival, Odunze came out on top in one-on-one battles against Oregon corners by using his uncanny body control and going up and taking the ball away from them.

Rome Odunze leaves an Oregon defender empty-handed in last Saturday's game / Skylar Lin Visuals

A year ago, the college analysts completely ignored Odunze and McMillan when it came to choosing candidates for preseason All-America teams, basically punishing them for being part of a 4-8 Husky team in 2021. An ensuing 11-2 season helped make people reconsider their assessments of this Husky pass-catching duo and Odunze was named first-team All-Pac-12, which was progress.

UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who inherited Odunze when the DeBoer staff took over last year, all along has marveled at the wide receiver's dedicated approach to advancing his game combined with those natural gifts of his.

"The desire and tenacity to go out and make your skill set the best in the country, that's Rome," Grubb said.

While the Oregon outing was responsible for turning Penix into the leading candidate at midseason for the Heisman Trophy and upping his NFL draft stock, many of those same people have been similarly calling out Odunze as one of the nation's best receivers, if not the best. Yet he still hasn't reached the Penix level of universal acceptance.

This week, seven different media organizations picked midseason All-America teams and six of them gave Odunze some sort of attention. Just four of them chose him as a first-team selection. One left him off completely.  

"Eventually people are going to have to notice and recognize," he said. "I recognize that within myself for a long time now that I can be great. For me, it's just about coming in every single day and proving it to myself. Eventually it will leak out to everybody."

Odunze actually has been an entertaining and a productive player since he started for the first time against Stanford as a true freshman and a pandemic stand-in in 2020, making multiple acrobatic catches against the Cardinal. Only injuries have slowed him at times in his four-season Husky tour of duty. 

He most likely could be playing in the NFL right now, pushing former UW teammate Puka Nacua to become the league's top rookie receiver. Yet he didn't have enough guarantees he'd become a first-round pick, plus Penix and the rest of the Huskies wanted him back in Montlake. 

So the selling of Rome Odunze continues, building plenty of momentum with each Husky outing now, with each Penix real-time arrow coming his way.

"None of that really matters [because] at the end of the day it's proving it within yourself and proving it to people who really care about you," said Odunze, who nonetheless feels the whole world watching him. "Yeah, they're finally waking up, for sure."

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