Rome Odunze announces a return to Washington for 2023 season, eyes national title
Rome Odunze will be back for 2023, and he’s got his sights set high.
The Washington Huskies’ star wide receiver announced on Thursday that he will be back in Seattle next season, giving UW its nation-leading passer and both of its 1,000-yard receivers back for a Pac-12 championship run. But in Kalen DeBoer’s second season, the Huskies are aiming for more than just a conference title.
When UW won the Alamo Bowl over Texas, Jalen McMillan expressed confidence the high-octane Huskies could win a national championship.
When Odunze announced his return on Thursday, he did so with a message: “We’re coming for a third.”
As in a third national championship for UW.
— Rome Odunze (@RomeOdunze) January 12, 2023
After a 75-catch, 1,145-yard season, Odunze had a chance to jump to the NFL. He had a strong chance of getting drafted. Instead, he’s coming back for a fourth season with the UW program.
And in doing so, he ensures the Huskies stay right in the thick of the Pac-12 championship race in 2023. Because it’s not just Odunze that spurned the NFL for another year with DeBoer; the Huskies went 8-for-8 on draft-eligible players who could either head to the pros or return to school.
Odunze joins quarterback Michael Penix Jr., McMillan, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, tight end Devin Culp, edge rushers Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Bralen Trice, and defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa as standouts to return.
UW is also getting back Ja’Lynn Polk and Taj Davis to power a pass game that led the country in yardage in 2022. Behind Penix, UW had one of the most explosive offenses in the country, one of the most efficient offenses in the country, and one of the highest-scoring.
With so much of what made it special back for 2023, it’s hard to argue with the ambition of Odunze or any of his fellow teammates.