Washington's Rome Odunze added to Biletnikoff Award watch list
Washington receiver Rome Odunze was added to the in-season Biletnikoff Award watch list on Wednesday, the foundation announced.
The award is given annually to college football’s best receiver, and Odunze has certainly been one of the most electric in the country to begin the season. The 6-foot-3 sophomore is on track to have an all-conference kind of season in his first year as a part of coach Kalen DeBoer’s offense.
Congratulations to Rome Odunze @RomeOdunze for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List! @UW_Football @UWAthletics #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/T8mFwLptGI
— Biletnikoff Award (@biletnikoffawrd) October 12, 2022
Odunze’s 104.8 receiving yards per game rank sixth nationally so far. He’s played in five of six games for UW, putting up 524 yards and four scores on 35 receptions. Washington’s leading receiver last season had 470 yards in 12 games.
Assuming UW gets to a bowl game and Odunze doesn’t miss another game, he’s on pace for the best season by a Washington receiver since Reggie Williams had 1,454 yards in 2002. John Ross is the only UW receiver to even top 1,000 yards in the last decade.
He’s also the first Washington player with three straight 100-yard receiving games since Sonny Shackleford in 2006. He’s currently tied with Arizona’s Dorian Singer for the second-most receptions of at least 15 yards.
UW plays Arizona at home on Saturday. DeBoer said earlier this week he expects Odunze to be fully available after exiting late in the Arizona State loss.