Ohio State has made a strong case to be “WRU” in terms of the way it produces NFL star wide receivers. Next in line for the Ohio State Buckeyes is Emeka Egbuka, who is graduating as one of the most productive receivers in school history and as a player who many feel is one of this class’s rare sure things.
Emeka Egbuka’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 205 pounds
- Position: WR
- School: Ohio State
- Current Year: Senior
Egbuka’s Scouting Report
Egbuka was born in Tacoma, Wash., but was raised in DuPont. Egbuka was a three-sport athlete in high school and excelled in football, basketball, and baseball for Steilacoom High School. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington for football as a junior in high school and was a five-star recruit, according to 247Sports, ranking as one of the top overall athletes in the country.
Egbuka signed with Ohio State, bypassing many other top universities, and gave Ohio State its next star wide receiver. He was an early enrollee in 2021 after his final high school season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played in just 11 games as a true freshman and was a minimal contributor on offense but was excellent on special teams as a returner.
It was in his sophomore year that Egbuka became a household name among college football fans. Egbuka went over the 1,000-yard mark in his second season as he and former Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud formed one of the best passing connections in the country.
Unfortunately for Egbuka, injuries and poor quarterback play plagued his junior season and his stats greatly diminished. He ended up undergoing ankle surgery after the season, and because of his lackluster year, he opted to return for a fourth and final season in 2024.
In his last dance at Ohio State. Egbuka bounced back in a major way, going over the 1,000-yard mark again; he also was a key reason why the Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff National Championship. Few receivers leave college as accomplished as Egbuka was, and now he looks to continue his success as he makes his transition to the next level.
Strengths
- Well-built receiver who has good overall size and density.
- Outstanding body control and ball skills to play the ball in the air.
- Strong hands to pluck the ball out of the air and make contested catches.
- Tough and competitive receiver who enjoys doing the dirty work like going over the middle of the field and blocking.
- Reliable chain mover who knows how to get open against man or zone and has a knack for making plays on third downs.
- Excellent route runner who displays nuanced technique with head and body fakes and using tempo.
- Competitive with the ball in his hands and has the strength to break tackles and the run-after-catch instincts to find open space.
Weaknesses
- Not overly dynamic as an athlete and lacks vertical home run speed.
- A slot-only receiver who may struggle to separate on the boundary against NFL-caliber corners.
- Flashes some lower-body tightness at the breakpoint and struggles to sink his hips
- Had ankle surgery as a junior, which may be a recurring injury as his career goes on.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Every year it feels like there is an Ohio State receiver that we get excited about as a potential early-round draft pick, and this year is no different. Egbuka is one of this class’s best receivers and will be viewed as one of the safest overall prospects in this year’s class.
Egbuka is a well-built slot receiver who projects as a reliable chain mover at the next level. He offers good overall size for the position and has good strength and athleticism. He primarily aligned in the slot while at Ohio State, and that is where he will likely call home at the next level.
Egbuka is an excellent route runner who runs his routes with the type of nuance and technique you’d expect from a Brian Hartline-trained product. Egbuka understands how to use head and body fakes to create separation and is outstanding in using his hands to keep his body clear throughout the stem of his route.
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He runs his routes with a good tempo, always keeping the defender guessing, and understands when to throttle down when he has the defender on his heels. Egbuka is a nightmare for zone defenses as he has an instinctive feel for space and excels at uncovering and creating an easy target for his quarterback.
Perhaps no receiver in this class has the hands and consistency of Egbuka. He is a third-down machine who consistently gets open and moves the chains. He has extremely strong hands and outstanding body control, ball skills, and strength to make catches in contested situations and over the middle of the field.
Egbuka is more of an underneath receiver who excels in the shallow areas rather than the deeper parts of the field. He is excellent on slants, quick outs, and hitches where he can work underneath and get the ball in his hands early as he shows an ability to quickly turn from a receiver into a ball carrier and gain positive yards. He is tough and competitive with the ball in his hands and runs like a running back rather than a receiver.
As mentioned, Egbuka will likely never be a home-run threat at the next level as he lacks the deep speed to stress NFL-caliber corners vertically. He struggles to stack defensive backs consistently and will need to be creative with his routes to separate at the next level.
He will be best utilized as a team’s No. 2 option who can excel as a reliable slot receiver playing opposite a true big-play threat.
Overall, Egbuka projects as an immediate starting slot receiver at the next level and a Day 1 contributor. His instincts, play strength, and ability to get open all translate, and he should excel on third downs just as he did at the college level. His game is very reminiscent of Amon-Ra St. Brown coming out of USC, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he was utilized the same way as St. Brown in the NFL.
