Explosive targets: Comparing Denzel Boston to Rome Odunze

Rome Odunze was a fan favorite during his time with the Washington Huskies, especially during the team's 2023 magical run. Not only was Odunze one of UW's most game-changing weapons, but he was also a charismatic leader fans loved off the field, as well.

Denzel Boston looks to follow in Odunze's footsteps, as he was recently named one of the Huskies' six team captains for the 2025 season. Boston broke out as a dependable wide receiver in 2024, becoming a big and reliable target who made contested catches and gained significant yards. Coincidentally, Boston's rise up to this point has been similar to how Odunze developed for the Dawgs.

Physical Profile and Recruitment

The first thing that stands out when you look at Odunze and Boston is their size. Both receivers are tall with strong physical frames. Odunze was listed as 6 feet 3, 215 pounds, whereas Boston is currently listed at 6 feet 4, 209 pounds. Both use their frames for a physical style of play, with the height and jumping ability to masterfully high-point balls -- acting as both a deep threat and a safety net for their quarterbacks.

Odunze was a slightly higher-touted high school recruit than Boston. He was a consensus four-star prospect out of the national powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Boston was more under the radar, playing locally in Puyallup, Washington for Emerald Ridge as a three-star recruit. Odunze was the 22nd ranked wide receiver in his class (2020), while Boston was ranked as the 146th (2022) . That's obviously a huge difference, but the fact that they both significantly outperformed those ranks in college is what they share in common.

Both of them were also recruited to Washington by the same coach, Junior Adams, now the wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys. Interestingly enough, Odunze and Boston both had Arizona, current UW coach Jedd Fisch's former program, as part of their top three college choices.

Collegiate Production

When looking at their college production, the parallels between Odunze and Boston start to take shape. Odunze’s career began modestly in 2020, when the COVID-shortened season limited him to just six catches for 72 yards. The following year, he carved out a slightly bigger role, playing in nine games and finishing with 41 receptions for 415 yards and four touchdowns. It was clear he was trending upward, but few could have predicted how quickly he would blossom.

That breakout came in 2022, when Odunze exploded for 1,145 yards to lead the Huskies and the entire Pac-12 conference. He strung together six 100-yard performances, three of which eclipsed the 150-yard mark, and cemented himself as one of the nation’s most dangerous receivers.

Boston’s trajectory has been more condensed, but the path is strikingly similar. He saw little action during his true freshman and redshirt freshman seasons in 2022 and 2023, making just seven catches for 66 yards. Then came his breakout campaign in 2024. With a larger role in the offense, Boston emerged as a reliable option, catching 63 passes for 834 yards and nine touchdowns. The leap resembled Odunze’s rise from his own freshman to sophomore season.

Of course, in 2025, Husky fans hope that Boston can have a similar junior (redshirt) season as the one Odunze had in 2023. That season, Odunze took things to an even higher level. He hauled in 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading all of college football in receiving yards and putting together ten separate 100-yard games -- all while playing through a rib fracture and a punctured lung.

Odunze was ultimately snubbed for the Biletnikoff award, was voted an All-American, and was selected with the ninth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Boston’s breakout in 2024 suggests he could follow a similar arc, but his challenge now is sustaining that production, sharpening his contested-catch dominance, and delivering big plays week after week. If he does, Washington fans may once again watch a talented receiver transform from steady contributor into program legend.