Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka had a big bounce-back season after injuries severely impacted his 2023 season. He was a big part of the Ohio State Buckeyes winning the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 20, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23. While he still had one season of eligibility remaining, Emeka Egbuka declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Fans React to the News That Emeka Egbuka Declared for the 2025 NFL Draft
The deadline to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft was Jan. 15. However, players who were on teams that participated in the CFP National Championship game had the deadline extended to Jan. 24. Egbuka officially declared for the NFL Draft on Friday.
With the announcement that he would be heading for the NFL, fans reacted to the news on X (formerly known as Twitter). Several even made predictions as to which team would select him.
“Whichever team gets him they got a stud,” one fan commented.
“YOU ARE a Dallas Cowboy,” one fan wrote, holding out hope for the Dallas Cowboys.
YOU ARE a Dallas Cowboy
— Shatter the Script (@STS_P0D) January 24, 2025
“You ARE A COMMANDER,” one fan added, looking for more firepower for Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
You ARE A COMMANDER
— tae (@onequantae) January 24, 2025
Fans continued to make predictions and discuss Egbuka’s draft declaration on X.
“Future Washington Commander,” one fan wrote.
Future Washington Commander 🫡
— Luna Snow Enjoyer (@w1ndyy) January 24, 2025
“Welcome to tha burgh Emeka,” one fan commented, throwing the Pittsburgh Steelers into the mix.
“Welcome to Dallas,” one fan added.
Welcome to Dallas
— B Young (TANK FOR JEANTY) (@TDCeeDee) January 24, 2025
Egbuka is projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to Pro Football Network’s latest 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, he is the 19th-ranked player in the 2025 NFL Draft and the third-ranked wide receiver behind Missouri’s Luther Burden III and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, not including WR/CB Travis Hunter. Depending on how the draft plays out, he could jump into the top 10-15 picks.
Egbuka had a huge bounce-back year in 2024 after he was limited by injuries in 2023. He registered 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 TDs. He was also an important part of the offense throughout Ohio State’s playoff run. In all four games, he had at least five receptions and over 50 yards. In the national championship game, Egbuka had six receptions for 64 yards and a 13-yard run.
Comparatively, Bleacher Report and Pro Football Focus are higher on Egbuka than Miller, placing him as the 12th- and 14-ranked player in the draft, respectively. However, ESPN is lower on him, ranking him as the 29th-best player in the draft.
After the top players in the draft are gone, where players are drafted can fluctuate heavily. All it takes is one team to be much higher than others for a player to jump up draft boards significantly. With Egubuka winning a national championship, he could have a pedigree that a team buys into, leading him to jump up the board.