ESPN Ranks Buckeyes Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka As Top Two WRs In 2023
Joey Galloway and Chris Sanders. Terry McLaurin and Parris Campbell. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
All great wide receiver duos at Ohio State whose impact soon won't be forgotten. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka could end up surpassing the bunch with a standout season in 2023.
In a recent poll by ESPN writers, Harrison and Egbuka were listed as the top two receivers in the nation heading into the regular season. No, not the leading duo. They have the top two players at the position.
Harrison, who finished with a team-high 1,263 yards and 77 receptions, was listed as this year's top pass-catcher. This 6-4 Philadelphia product has already garnered top-three draft buzz and drawn comparisons to his Hall of Fame father, Marvin Harrison Sr., who became an icon opposite Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts.
Harrison had seven 100-yard receiving performances last season, and he played his best in Ohio State's biggest games, including Penn State (10 receptions, 185 yards), Michigan (7 receptions, 120 yards, 1 touchdown) and Georgia (5 receptions, 106 yards, 2 touchdowns). He's the overwhelming favorite to win the Biletnikoff Award in 2023 before likely becoming the first non-quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft - ESPN
Egbuka, who totaled 1,151 yards and 10 TDs, took home the silver medal in terms of top receivers. Initially, a higher-rated prospect than Harrison coming out of Steilacoom, Wash., Egbuka has played the Olave and McLaurin role opposite Harrison's Wilson persona.
Egbuka was a finalist last year for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation's most versatile player. A larger role in the passing game was inevitable for him, but the process was accelerated last fall after Jaxon Smith-Njigba was sidelined for most of the season with a leg injury. Egbuka is often the second name mentioned after Harrison, but the plethora of talent in the Buckeyes' receiving room was a selling point, not a deterrent. - ESPN
Both receivers are at the mercy of star quarterback play for expanded production in 2023. Currently, the Buckeyes have a heated battle under center between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown. McCord could have an advantage in building a rapport with Harrison as the two were teammates in high school at St. Joesph's Prep.
Harrison's breakout 2022 campaign could have him in the same category as Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Ja'Marr Chase. Smith-Njigba was projected to be a top-10 pick after transforming into C.J. Stroud's go-to weapon, but a hamstring injury sidelined him for all but three games. After a strong combine and Pro Day, the Seattle Seahawks were sold on his upside, making him the No. 20 overall pick and the first receiver selected.
Chase, who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2019, elected to opt out in 2020 due to the Coivid-19 pandemic. His two-year production at LSU was enough to warrant a top-five pick in 2021 when the Cincinnati Bengals elected to reunite Chase with Joe Burrow.
Harrison is projected to be the first non-quarterback selected in his year's class, often being linked to the No. 2 or No. 3 pick. In the latest mock draft from CBS Sports, Harrison was the second player selected behind USC quarterback Caleb Williams, both to the Arizona Cardinals.
Egbuka likely needs another productive season to solidify his first-round draft stock. Versatility will be his strong suit as the Buckeyes lined him up in various positions last season en route to a College Football Playoff berth.
According to Pro Football Focus, 444 of Egbuka's reps came in the slot, while 232 were out wide. Egbuka also totaled eight reps from the backfield and rushed for 87 yards and two TDs.
In CBS Sports' recent way-too-early mock draft, Egbuka was selected ninth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the second receiver chosen and the fifth offensive player selected behind Williams, Harrison, Penn State offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu and North Carolina QB Drake Maye.
Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!
Join the BuckeyesNow community!
Subscribe to the BuckeyesNow YouTube channel
Follow BuckeyesNow on Twitter: @BuckeyesNow_FN
Follow BuckeyesNow on Instagram: @BuckeyesNow_FN
