Ohio State Star WR Named Top 50 College Football Player

Pro Football Focus ranks Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in their list of Top 50 college football players headed into the 2024 season.

Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers Carnell Tate (17) and Emeka Egbuka (2) run between drills during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State wide receiver room has received tons of attention during the preseason and the chances of them commanding even more attention during the season is highly likely. With the pure talent and experience of Emeka Egbuka, combined with the lofty expectations for young receivers Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss, this season could be big for the passing game.

All four of these wide receivers should hear their names called in the NFL Draft in the next couple of years. For Egbuka, that should happen in 2025 after deciding to forego the NFL Draft this year and run it back one last time with the Buckeyes. Recently, the NFL released their Top 100 players of 2024 and similar to that Pro Football Focus is releasing their Top 50 players of 2024 in college football. Egbuka finds himself at No. 37 in their rankings.

PFF’s Top 50 Players in College Football:

Players 40-31🔥 pic.twitter.com/8EOgawlj1X

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 13, 2024

"Egbuka is returning for his senior season after missing three games with an ankle injury as a junior. The year before, he finished as the second-most valuable receiver in the Power Five, according to PFF's wins above average metric, trailing only his teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. He placed fifth in that same group in receiving yards (1,151) and tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns (10) in 2022. Expect a major bounceback in 2024 from the Buckeyes' top receiver."

Egbuka and Harrison Jr. were certainly the most dangerous one-two punch at wide receiver during the 2022 season. If Egbuka can stay healthy and emulate that success in 2024, then not only will he likely lead the offense in receptions and yards, but he could win some awards and even further elevate his draft stock. Despite a new quarterback throwing to him this season, Egbuka should have no issues getting open and finding the football.

Not only did Egbuka come in at No. 37 in these rankings, but he is one spot higher than former Ohio State and current Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers. As prospects in the 2021 recruiting class, Ewers was No. 1 overall and Egbuka was No. 9 overall in 247 Sports' rankings.

Egbuka not only has a chance to lead Ohio State to some major accomplishments as a team this year, but he is only 77 receptions away from breaking K.J. Hill's all-time reception record at Ohio State with 201. If Egbuka can win some gold pants from beating Michigan, earn the all-time Ohio State career reception record and win some championships this season, that would be a signature finish to a strong college career.