While the Washington Huskies and their fans in the Pacific Northwest are absolutely enthralled that their team is taking part in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 8, they won't be the only ones with a keen eye on that game. The Huskies boast plenty of NFL-caliber talent that has not only stepped up all season but is also continuing to lead this undefeated run in 2023 to the title game. There are a lot of players to highlight and choose from among Huskies who will most likely be playing on Sundays sometime soon, but two Huskies, in particular — quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze — stand out as potential pro difference makers and top 2024 NFL draft prospects to watch in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver
Though Marvin Harrison Jr. won the Bilitnekoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver and is nearly unanimously regarded as the top pass-catcher in the upcoming NFL Draft — and rightfully so — Washington football's Rome Odunze is not someone to sleep on either.
Odunze only trails LSU's Malik Nabers in receiving yards on the season with 1,553, but has another game to play to exceed Nabers' 1,569-yard total. Odunze has quite literally won games for the Huskies this season, with the most notable coming in Washington's game against the Oregon Ducks in Seattle earlier this season when he caught the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes left in that game.
That catch put a cap on an utterly fantastic performance that saw Odunze put up 128 yards on eight receptions, two of which went for touchdowns. Odunze was once again sensational in Washington's semifinal win over the Texas Longhorns. He did not score a touchdown, but he did haul in six balls for 125 yards, including a 52-yard bomb down the middle of the field.
This upcoming wide receiver class looks like it can and will be another special one. Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the headliner, and others like Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Tez Walker, Xavier Worthy, Emeka Egbuka, and Keon Coleman, will be very coveted as well. But Odunze is probably the best out of that bunch. He will be a difference-maker in the NFL for a long time.
Michael Penix Jr., Quarterback
It is hard to find the words for how incredible quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was in the Washington College Football Playoff semifinal win over Texas.
Perfect doesn't even seem to do his performance justice. Penix Jr. was in an absolute zone. Penix went 29-38 for 430(!) yards and two touchdowns. He made just about every throw possible and made all of them look effortless and clinical while doing so.
Much will be made of factors outside of football when discussing Penix Jr. and whether or not he should be a first-round pick and a potential franchise quarterback.
Penix Jr. will be 24 years old about a week after the NFL Draft. He has undergone two torn ACLs, which has limited his utility as a runner to a degree since he arrived in Washington. Those are somewhat fair concerns, primarily the health concerns. But then again, Penix Jr. became the first FBS quarterback since someone named Patrick Mahomes to throw for at least 4,500 yards in consecutive seasons.
That's a pretty good company to be in. It's easy to overthink it come draft season and it would be overthinking it with Penix Jr. by looking too deeply into his age and injury history. He should be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and will have another chance to prove it against the Michigan Wolverines.
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