After going down with an ankle sprain in Week 6 against Maryland last season, Ohio State’s medical staff performed a procedure known as tightrope surgery on Emeka Egbuka. The talented wide receiver was out for a few weeks as he recovered and returned in Week 10 against Rutgers.
A nagging ankle injury is never easy to return from at any point, but the procedure reportedly expedited his recovery.
Losing a chunk of the season was unfortunate for both Egbuka and the Ohio State Buckeyes, but it likely played a big factor in his inclination to return for one more season instead of entering the 2024 NFL Draft. Even with the injury and this year’s draft class being loaded at the wide receiver spot, Egbuka probably still would have been drafted in the late-first to early-second round. In all reality, returning to college for another year will most likely help his draft stock because he should be a top 15 pick.
Sep 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) celebrates scoring a 15-yard touchdown during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
In the past week or two, recruiting news has been buzzing, so it feels fitting to look back at when Egbuka was just a commit to Ohio State as a member of the 2021 recruiting class. He was not only a five-star recruit but also the top wide receiver prospect in the class. Marvin Harrison Jr. was rated as the 21st best wide receiver by 247 Sports in that same class.
Although Egbuka has not been viewed in quite the same light as Marvin Harrison Jr. in the last two years, he has been a major factor in Ohio State’s offense. During the 2022 season, Egbuka had 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and ten touchdowns. Those numbers tapered off in 2023 due to the missed time from the injury, yet he was still able to catch 41 passes for 515 yards and four touchdowns.
Headed into the 2024-25 season, Egbuka is by far and away the leader of a young and inexperienced wide receiver group. Despite the lack of experience, it is a group that is every bit as talented as some other past groups in recent times. Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss are expected to be heavily involved in the offense along with Egbuka.
As Egbuka takes on an even larger role, he not only has a chance to help lead the Buckeyes to the first 12-team playoff National Championship but could also leave Ohio State with a school record. K.J. Hill was the first and only Ohio State receiver to leave with more than 200 catches in his college career with 201 to be exact. Egbuka needs to secure 77 receptions to tie the mark and 78 would leave him standing alone at the top.
That would be a massive achievement considering how many great receivers Ohio State has had, especially in the last decade.
Although this coming season is the main focus on Egbuka’s mind and Ohio State fan’s minds, the 2025 NFL Draft will be coming around the corner before we know it. Trevor Sikkema of PFF had this to say about Egbuka’s skills translating to the NFL.
“In a world where we try to rank who will be good in the NFL, I think Emeka Egbuka is a really easy projection with so many translatable skills,” stated Sikkema on the NFL Stock Exchange podcast.
Shocker: Expect another Ohio State WR to succeed in the NFL🗣️ pic.twitter.com/StrCqDPJak
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 4, 2024
It is hard to bet against Egbuka. If he manages to stay healthy this coming season, then setting records, winning major awards and perhaps even becoming a top ten pick in next year’s NFL draft is extremely believable. Although guys like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are deservingly getting a ton of hype, Egbuka is still the guy and will probably be the guy for a wide receiver needy team in the NFL for years to come.
Source link : https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/football/ohio-state-buckeyes-wide-receiver-emeka-egbuka-is-nearly-a-sure-thing-in-nfl
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Publish date : 2024-07-06 14:16:19
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