Emeka Egbuka of Steilacoom Named Nation's No. 1 Receiver by SI All-American

Uncommitted recruit has most of nation's top programs vying for his elite football talents, including the Washington Huskies.

No matter where everyone ends up, Washington state clearly has become a hotbed for elite football talent. 

Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka from Steilacoom High School near Tacoma has been named the nation's top wide receiver for the 2021 class by Sports Illustrated All-American — the fourth Northwest-produced player, and highest ranking yet, to crack one of SI's national top 10 position lists.

Egbuka, 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, has not made his college selection known yet, choosing from among Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington, plus several others. It is thought he might be leaning to the Buckeyes, but there's nothing concrete about that. You can read the SI All-American story about him and the other top wide receivers right here. 

"One of the top uncommitted prospects in the country regardless of position, Egbuka makes big plays at wide receiver and defensive back on Friday nights," said John Garcia, SI's director of football recruiting. "His flashes on offense, particularly down the field and at the catch point, can contend with any playmaker's top cuts. But there is alarming consistency from a production standpoint, too, coming off back-to-back 1,400-yard, 20-touchdown campaigns.

"Egbuka is dominant with the football in the air with plus speed and elite hands."

Egbuka, whose SI evaluation can be read here, follows the elite rankings given to Washington state's slot receiver Jabez Tinae of Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Washington, pegged No. 3 nationally; interior lineman Owen Prentice from Seattle's O'Dea High School, slotted No. 10 nationwide; and Kennedy Catholic quarterback Sam Huard, singled out as the country's No. 6 player at his position.

The other three recruits have each committed to Washington. Egbuka, while possibly Big Ten-bound, still hasn't ruled out the Huskies. All four of them together would be an unmatched stockpile of football talent found anywhere. 

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