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Projecting Ohio State's Wide Receiver Stats In 2024

Here is a projection of how the Ohio State Buckeyes' top wide receivers might perform this year.

Dylan Feltovich

Aug 8, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a pass during football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex.
Aug 8, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a pass during football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the college football season right around the corner, it's time to look at how the Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers will perform this season.

Newly-hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will have a fresh group of talented wideouts at his disposal, along with a key veteran in Emeka Egbuka to help run his offense. Here are my projections on how the top wide receivers will perform this year.

Emeka Egbuka

The Buckeyes veteran pass catcher is back for his senior season, and he is due for a big year.

Egbuka has the most experience in the wide receiver room heading into this season. Despite his underwhelming 2023 campaign, Egbuka has put together an incredible career at Ohio State. The Washington native has totaled over 1,800 yards with 14 touchdowns and only needs 77 receptions to break former Buckeye K.J. Hill’s record of 201 career receptions.

This is the first season for Egbuka where he does not have to compete for targets with NFL ready prospects, so he has a chance to lead the Buckeyes in receiving yards. Both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are stars-in-the-making, but still need time to develop.

2024 Projection: 79 receptions, 1,025 yards, eight touchdowns

Jeremiah Smith

Losing a generational talent like Marvin Harrison Jr. is never an ideal situation for a program, but freshman Jeremiah Smith could eventually fill his shoes.

The former five-star wideout in the 2024 class has received tons of praise since his arrival to Columbus. Smith possesses a rare combination of size, strength and athleticism, while being a crafty route runner.

He was recently ranked No. 7 on college football analyst Bruce Feldman's "Freak List":

The five-star recruit from South Florida already looks like an NFL wide receiver, and a big one at that. He is 6-3 ½ and 218 pounds. This offseason, Smith bench pressed 355 pounds and squatted 530. He broad-jumped 10-10 and vertical-jumped 36 inches. His max speed is jaw-dropping at 23.39 mph. Everything about him is elite, we’re told, especially his work ethic.

- Bruce Feldman

There's no doubt that Smith could become one of the next great pass catchers from Ohio State, but the question is, how much of an impact will he have year one? Ohio State legend Cris Carter holds the record for most receiving yards as a freshman with 648 and I think Smith could easily break that record this season.

2024 Projection: 50 receptions, 750 yards, five touchdowns

Carnell Tate

With all the hype surrounding Egbuka and Smith, many people tend to forget about sophomore phenom Carnell Tate.

In his first season with the Buckeyes, the former four-star wide receiver caught the attention of fans after his performance against the Purdue Boilermakers. Tate finished the 2023 season with 264 yards on 18 catches.

Last month, I wrote an article about how Tate was poised for a breakout year with the Buckeyes. I still stand true to that take, but the second-year wide receiver will have to fight for targets with the rest of the loaded pass catching group. If Egbuka primarily stays in the slot, Tate will be a perfect "Z" receiver across from Smith. He could also see some time in the slot as he played 26 percent of time in the slot in 2023.

2024 Projection: 45 receptions, 685 yards, four touchdowns

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

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