Week 12 Player Spotlight – Bowling Green WR Odieu Hiliare

Liam Blutman
Photo Credit: @BG_Football on Twitter

MACtion rules the world… kind of. Football fans worship the purity and chaos of MAC football on weeknights. But here’s the issue… when Tuesday flips to Wednesday and Wednesday flips to Thursday… all is forgotten. People move on so quickly. They live in the big MAC moments and don’t think back to them a day or two or three later. That’s an issue! Odieu Hiliare just exploded for 246 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight catches to help lead Bowling Green to bowl eligibility with a shocking upset win at Toledo. And yet… who talked about this masterclass when the Week 12 episode of MACtion ran out of time? Nobody. It was onto “big boy football” and games that “really matter.” Whatever lol. Odieu deserves some love so we’re gonna show it to him right quick.

Has Odieu ever told a lie? I know that his pinned tweet is the TRUTH cause his play has left me speechless multiple times this season. It’s impossible to forget about the catch he made back in the middle of September when he made the catch of the year against Micah Abraham of Marshall, who is a future NFL starter. Hiliare can flat out play man! He’s caught 51 balls this season and turned ’em into 696 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Some games he’s quiet and other games he goes wild. Much like a volcano, you never know when Odieu Hiliare is going to erupt.

His stellar skills were on full display against Toledo. That slick one-handed catch he makes… holy. Odieu gets a ball thrown behind him and just throws his left hand back to snag it, breaks a tackle on the sideline and is GONE for SIX! Even his other touchdown was superb as he’s doubled and has to track the ball while looking with his head essentially resting on the defender’s facemask, and with prolific tracking skills and soft hands, an “easy” touchdown catch is made. His release off the line of scrimmage is mad quick too. We got to see a quick glimpse into his ability after the catch as well, somewhere I think he really flashed and showed why he’s so much more deserving of the ball and NFL recognition. Odieu likes to move with sudden cuts and to break a defender’s ankles. It’s quick and violent, flashy and nasty. 

Odieu Hiliare has come a really long way… but he ain’t done yet. He had been on the grind at Alabama A&M in years past, putting in work and being shown no love. Same old story. I guess 71 grabs for 918 and nine touchdowns isn’t enough to move the needle… yeah okay. Shoutout Bowling Green for believing in Odieu and helping him continue his journey, a journey that will take him to the NFL soon enough. How can you not fall in love with a MAC wide receiver with a HBCU background? A dude that continues to grind no matter how little others pay attention. Flying under the radar despite flying on the field and making jaw-dropping acrobatic catches, taking Bowling Green back to a bowl game for the first time since 2015.

Start talking about Odieu Hiliare. He’s just a flat out STUD!

About the author

Liam Blutman
Read more posts by this author

I am a diehard UCLA fan that has enjoyed (?) mediocrity year after year. My favorite CFB moment was witnessing UCLA comeback from 34 down against Texas A&M. Being at the Rose Bowl for that historic moment is something I’ll never forget. I have written about CFB since I was 14 and my favorite thing to do is give under-the-radar athletes the recognition they deserve. You might know me from @NoContextCFB !

You may like these posts