Rome Odunze, a highly touted wide receiver from the University of Washington, is poised to make a splash in the upcoming NFL Draft. With a stellar collegiate career behind him, Odunze has showcased exceptional pass-catching abilities and has emerged as one of the top prospects at his position.
In his final two seasons with the Washington Huskies, Odunze played a pivotal role in the team’s success. During the 2022 season, he hauled in 75 receptions for 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns. In the previous season, he notched an impressive 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping the Huskies advance to the national championship game.
As the NFL Draft approaches, Odunze remains calm and collected, not harboring any specific team preferences. He told Fox News Digital, “I’m a pretty cool, calm, collected kind of guy, and that’s exactly how I’m kind of approaching that situation. I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up, and I don’t want to be disappointed with anything if I had picked a favorite team or anything — which I haven’t. I’m just enjoying the process and whatever happens, happens.”
Despite his standout performances, Odunze has primarily played on the West Coast, meaning fans on the East Coast may not be as familiar with his exceptional skills. He shared with Fox News Digital what sets him apart as a wide receiver: “I think that I’m a pretty complete wide receiver. I think that I provide a lot of skills to an offense and versatility to an offense. And I think I do it in a pretty blue-collar way. Not too loud, but I love to be hype and feel the emotions of the game as well.
“But just someone who is going to go in there and work hard and hopefully make any fan base proud and happy to continue to root me on. But that’s something I can show you better than I can tell you.”
Odunze and his former Washington teammate, Michael Penix Jr., have partnered with Sharpie ahead of the draft. Odunze plans to use Sharpie S-Gel Pens to sign his rookie contract and autographs throughout his rookie season. He and Penix participated in a Sharpie Signature Combine to prepare for the moment when they sign their first pro contracts.
“I used to do that as a kid a lot,” Odunze told Fox News Digital when asked about practicing his signature. “Any time I switched up the signature I want to perfect it. There was a good amount of time where I was filling up sheets of paper with signatures to kind of get it right.”
Odunze has already had some practice signing autographs, as fans have approached him to sign various items. The NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET, and fans can expect Odunze’s name to be called early as he embarks on his NFL journey.
