Washington's Odunze, McMillan named two of best returning wideouts in college football
Washington has two of the best wideouts in college football for 2023.
That’s according to Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick, who recently ranked the top 10 returning wide receivers in college football and placed UW’s star duo of Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan inside the top six. Chadwick had Odunze at No. 3, trailing only the dynamic duo of Ohio State wideouts. He put McMillan at No. 6.
Here’s what he wrote on Odunze:
Outside of the Ohio State duo, Odunze is the most productive returning Power Five receiver.
The junior’s 605 yards against single coverage trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among that group. He’s also the third-most valuable returning Power Five receiver, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
And what he wrote on McMillan:
When discussing the best receiver duos in college football next season, it’s highly unlikely anyone will come close to Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. If there was to be a challenger, though, it’d be Washington’s Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan.
McMillan was the ultimate chain-mover for the Huskies this year. His 54 combined receiving first downs and touchdowns trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among returning Power Five receivers. The junior’s 29 catches of 15-plus yards were tied for second in that same group. Between McMillan, Odunze and quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Washington should once again field one of the most explosive aerial attacks in the country next year.
After a 75-catch, 1,145-yard season, Odunze had a chance to jump to the NFL, and he had a strong chance of getting drafted. Instead, he’s coming back for a fourth season with the UW program. McMillan is joining him after a 1,098-yard, nine-touchdown campaign.
The two helped power a top-10 scoring offense and the nation’s best passing offense. They have bigger dreams in 2023.