Husky Target Profile: Rome Odunze (’20)

Updated: Aug 16

WR, Bishop Gorman High School Las Vegas, NV

Football Recruiting Forum Link

Rome Odunze publicly committed to the University of Washington on August 12th.

Overview

Odunze burst on the scene with a huge Junior season for the Gorman Gaels, after missing most of his Sophomore campaign with a collarbone injury. He is a national recruit at WR.

Playing for the powerhouse Gorman team, Odunze caught 60 balls as a Junior for over 1,300 yards, tallying 15 receiving TDs. He also chipped in another TD on a punt return. Courtesy of MaxPreps

Recruitment Status

Odunze holds over 20 offers, with top programs from the Pac12, SEC, Big Ten, and Big XII all showing interest. Until recently, OU, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, and Washington were all thought to be competitors for his commitment. However, this appears to us to be coming down to battle between OU and Washington.Courtesy of 247 Sports

For what it is worth, 247 Sports currently has six Crystal Ball predictions and they are 100% forecasting that Odunze commits to the Huskies.

Prospect Evaluation/Schematic Fit

Physically Odunze resembles UW’s recent WR commit Jalen McMillan in size and build. Both are long (>6’2″) receivers with impressive catch radiuses. Odunze’s build looks a bit thicker than McMillan’s at this stage. He is currently listed at just under 200 pounds.

Odunze’s skill set also somewhat resembles McMillan’s except that where McMillan’s extreme polish stands out most, with Odunze the traits that are most evident are playmaking ability with the ball in his hands and long speed. The Opening Los Angeles Regional Results

Odunze has 10.7 track speed in the 100 Meter dash. His verified testing numbers from the Opening’s Los Angeles Regional camp, which was held in February, are impressive across the board. Most notable is the 4-flat shuttle time, which is lightning quick at his size and stage of physical maturation. It speaks to elite small area quickness, in addition to his long speed.Suburban Kodak says: “Rome is just scratching the surface and hasn’t even grown into his body but still runs like a deer.”

He is a key target for the Huskies because of that kind of play-making ability. The only other receiver on the Washington roster or committed with similar run after the catch ability is 2019 WR Puka Nacua. I think he is best suited as an outside receiver, but can excel in the slot too.

Junior Highlights

Bottom Line

Odunze committed on August 12th, choosing Washington over Oklahoma.