Odunze missed most of his sophomore season with a broken collarbone, but after a strong junior year, he’s a top target for Washington football, and he’s an impressive physical specimen
Washington football didn’t offer Rome Odunze just based off of his measurables, just watch the film and you’ll see a great route runner with explosive speed and mind blowingly good feet. He excelled during his junior year at one of the best high school programs in the country, Bishop Gorman (Nevada), putting together 1347 yards and 15 touchdowns on just 60 catches, which averages out to an insane 22.5 yards per catch.
Now, looking at his measurables is just another reason to offer (and drool over) a receiver like Odunze. Let’s start with the 4.55 40 yard dash, which isn’t “eye-popping” for the NFL combine, but this is talking about a high schooler that probably hasn’t had much training specifically for a drill like the 40, so Washington’s coaching staff can probably get him down to a 4.4 at the very least.
But, if you want to really have your mind blown, look at his 20 yard shuttle run time, 4.00. Just to put that into perspective, Taylor Rapp had the second fastest shuttle time at the 2019 NFL Combine at 3.99 seconds.
Fit at UW
Odunze would be a perfect compliment to receivers like Jalen McMillan and Puka Nacua, and with his elite size (6’3) he could even push Nacua into the slot just to get all three guys on the field at the same time and create a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. The Huskies could even put Odunze to utilize his short area quickness in the best possible way. No matter who is throwing that receiver combination the ball, they’re going to have a huge matchup advantage, and there’s no way any defense in the country can cover all of those guys.
His crystal ball is currently 100% Washington, and Odunze is expected to make a decision very soon. It looks like it’ll come down to Washington and Oklahoma. He would be another huge get for new receiver’s coach Junior Adams, who has been phenomenal on the recruiting trail since he took the job!