Rome Odunze Bigger, Faster Heading into 2023

Washington's star wide receiver is primed for an even bigger year after putting up impressive numbers last season.
USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Any discussion about the top wide receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class that doesn't include Washington's Rome Odunze is a conversation you can safely discard.

One of the most underrated prospects in next year's crop of eligible pass-catchers, Odunze passed up on this year's draft for the opportunity to refine his skill set and get another year of experience under his belt against college competition before making the jump to the next level.

He'll have the benefit of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also returning for the 2023 season, and Odunze is clearly putting in the offseason work to ensure he makes the most of their reunion.


READ: All Aboard the Rome Odunze Hype Train


Speaking at the Pac-12 media days, Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer told Christian Caple of On Montlake that Odunze will somehow be an even bigger and faster version than the one we saw last season.

“I’ve never seen him faster,” DeBoer told Caple. “He’s clocking in the 4.3s, and (is) as big as I’ve ever seen him.”

Caple says that Odunze has bulked up to 215 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, and that the former high school track star at Bishop Gorman has been clocked at 4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash during offseason workouts.

That's terrible news for the opposing defenses who struggled to contain Odunze last season, but music to the ears of any NFL team who could need a No. 1 receiver in the first round of next year's draft. 


Published
Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com