Five former Buckeyes wide receivers thrive in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season

The Ohio State to NFL pipeline got an extra boost in public perception this past weekend.

Not only did the Buckeyes take home a massive victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 42-3, but they got extra positive PR from recently graduated wideouts who went on to play the game at the next level.

Five former Buckeyes, Emeka Egbuka, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave all thrived in their respective NFL matchups in Week 5. In total, they hauled in a combined 32 catches for 523 yards and three touchdowns.

However, these performances and numbers come as no surprise as each left a lasting legacy on the field for Ohio State during their times running routes at The Shoe.

Emeka Egbuka: 7 catches, 163 yards, 1 TD.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 8/132/1.
Marvin Harrison Jr: 4/98.
Garrett Wilson: 6/71/1.
Chris Olave: 7/59

Seems pretty good. #Buckeyes
— Dave Biddle (@davebiddle) October 5, 2025

The first two who entered the league were Wilson and Olave. Wilson was taken with the No. 10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, with Olave going just behind him at the No. 11 spot to the New Orleans Saints.

Since entering the league, Wilson has racked up volume as one of the top targets in New York, hauling in 312 total receptions for 3,631 yards and 18 touchdowns. He is currently on pace to have four-consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in his first four years in the league. Olave too has had a good showing with the Saints. He has brought down 224 catches for 2,809 yards and 11 touchdowns with two 1,000-yard seasons.

Following both Olave and Wilson was Smith-Njigba, who was selected with the No. 20 pick in the 2023 draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

He's the only one of the five drafted who thrived in Week 5 to be selected for the NFL Pro Bowl. In his three-year career, he has gone for 2,292 yards and 12 touchdowns on 273 catches. He currently has played all of the possible games that the Seahawks have taken the field for since entering the league.

After Wilson, Olave and Smith-Njigba came Marvin Harrison Jr., who was selected as the highest picked wideout of the five. He was taken with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

While his time in the league has been less than ideal at times, he has 82 catches for 1,191 yards and 10 touchdowns. His biggest downfall has been drops, with just a career-average of a 55.4% catch rate.

The one who looks to most dangerous though, with a chance to become an NFL great, is Tampa Bay Bucanneers' Emeka Egbuka.

He was taken with the 19th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has exploded onto the big stages since day one. On 38 targets he has hauled in 25 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns. His play on the field ranks him 13th all-time in rookie receiving yards in a season, and he's played in just five games.

He leads all rookies in 2025 by nearly 150 yards, with the next closest to him in his class is tight end T.J. Warren who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts. He has 307 yards this season.

Its really no surprise that these five wideouts are excelling in the NFL, as their time with the University of Ohio State prepared them for everything that would be thrown their way.

The pipeline from Buckeye to big-leaguer only looks to grow as the chance for Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate to be drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft starts to draw more eyes.