The 2024 rookie WR class is loaded at the top. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers are the cream of the crop, but Washington’s Rome Odunze isn’t that far behind. Let’s journey through Odunze’s past and discover how he became a top NFL Draft prospect.
Where Did Rome Odunze’s Football Career Start?
Odunze has spent his entire football career on the west coast. He went to high school at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Following a senior year that saw him catch passes for 1,222 yards and 15 touchdowns, Odunze was named Gatorade Football Player of the Year.
Heading into college, Odunze’s talent was no secret. A whopping 33 programs offered him a spot on their roster, but Odunze chose Washington.
Revisiting Odunze’s College Career
The beginning of Odunze’s collegiate career came at an inopportune time, coinciding with the pandemic. As a result, he only played four games as a true freshman.
Odunze was granted an extra year of eligibility, making his 2021 season his redshirt freshman year. He was a bigger part of the offense, catching 41 balls for 415 yards and four touchdowns, but he hadn’t quite broken out just yet.
The true emergence of Odunze occurred in his junior year (redshirt sophomore). As a full-time starter, he played in 12 games and hauled in 75 balls for 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns. Odunze led the Pac-12 in receiving yards.
Pac-12 WR Rankings, 2023, via @CamMellor
No. 5 – Jalen McMillan, Washington
McMillian and Rome Odunze give the Huskies the top 1-2 combination in the conference, maybe the nation.pic.twitter.com/r7QmggYPOE
— College Football Network (@CFN365) April 24, 2023
The talented prospect could’ve entered the 2023 NFL Draft and been a highly-touted prospect, but he opted to return to Washington for one more season. Oftentimes, this works out poorly for prospects. That was not the case for Odunze.
As a senior, Odunze had his best season yet, reeling in 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns – those numbers include Washington’s two playoff contests.
Although he still had a year of eligibility remaining, Odunze had more than proven himself to be one of the best receivers in the nation. He declared for the 2024 NFL Draft shortly after Washington came up short against Michigan in the National Championship Game.
Odunze’s Potential in the NFL
The top three wide receivers of the 2024 class are pretty much set in stone. Marvin Harrison Jr. is No. 1. Malik Nabers is No. 2. While Odunze is closer to the WR4 than he is to Nabers, he is really in a tier by himself as the WR3.
PFN’s NFL Draft Analyst Ian Cummings shares this belief: “Rome Odunze grades out as a top-15 and early-to-mid first-round prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and is arguably a top-three WR prospect with Harrison Jr. and Nabers. He’s worthy of top-ten capital for a WR-needy team and has the tools to change an NFL offense.”
Odunze may not be an early-declare, but we’ve seen plenty of four-year wide receivers have immediate success in recent years. Guys like Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith, and Brandon Aiyuk come to mind.
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Rome Odunze
Cummings continued: “Odunze’s profile is one of the most complete to hit the circuit in recent years. Listed at 6’3″, 215 pounds, Odunze has all of the necessary athletic components — explosiveness, speed, fluidity, agility — and he compounds that physical foundation with rare catching instincts and budding route running nuance.”
There’s not much more that needs to be said about Odunze’s NFL potential. He’s not quite on the level of Harrison or Nabers, but by no means is that meant as an insult.
“Odunze has a high degree of size, athleticism, catch-point authority, and independent separation ability, which he can use to be an impact X or movement-Z receiver right out of the gate in the NFL — with a Pro Bowl and All-Pro ceiling,” Cummings noted.
Highlights, Records, and More
It’s really not a stretch to call Odunze the best wide receiver in Washington’s history. Every other wide receiver to come from the Pac-12 program was a role player in the NFL, at best. Odunze has superstar potential.
Odunze was named first-team All-Pac-12 in each of his final two seasons, and in 2023, he was a consensus All-American.
College Football Network put Odunze on its 2023 First-Team All-American Offense alongside of pair of Maliks — Washington and Nabers.
Whoever comes away with Odunze in the draft is getting an instant-impact player who can anchor a WR room for years to come.
MORE: Top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Draft with your friends today! PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator now supports multiple drafters during the same draft! Find out how the PFN Scouting Department ranks this year’s prospects with our 2024 NFL Draft Big Board and follow along throughout the draft with our NFL team needs tracker.
