SEATTLE — The University of Washington has two of the best college football players in the country at their respective positions, which was reflected in the Associated Press midseason All-America list released Wednesday.
Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze were named to the first-team offense. The quarterback and receiver duo represent two of the four players from the Pacific-12 Conference on the list.
Penix Jr. and Odunze were the talk of college football over the weekend after connecting on a game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to outlast the previously unbeaten and No. 9 Oregon at Husky Stadium.
Penix, who transferred to Washington in 2022 after four injury-plagued seasons at Indiana, is leading the nation with 383 yards passing per game for the Huskies (6-0), who are ranked fifth in the AP Top 25.
"The production, the talent, all that, that's one thing," said Kalen DeBoer, Washington coach. "The heart that he's got. The guts he's got and the willingness to just grind through it. Grit. There's not enough words to describe how I feel about him."
Odunze is fourth in the country with 736 receiving yards in 2023. The senior wideout has caught six touchdowns and added one rushing in a win over Tulsa earlier this year.
The Huskies are 6-0 and unquestionably in the conversation for the College Football Playoff. The first rankings for college football's four-team playoff will be released on Oct. 31. UW's last appearance in the College Football Playoff was in 2016.
