Ohio State Buckeyes Star Lands All-Pro NFL Comparison

This Ohio State Buckeyes star has been compared to one of the most prominent names in the NFL.
Sep 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Marshall Thundering Herd in the first quarter at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Sep 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Marshall Thundering Herd in the first quarter at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jeremiah Smith may be getting the lion's share of the attention in the Ohio State Buckeyes' receiving corps this season, but it's Emeka Egbuka who will be entering the 2025 NFL Draft.

While he may not possess the same explosiveness as Smith, Egbuka is widely considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the country and will almost certainly be a first-round pick next April.

As a matter of fact, Bleacher Report's Ryan Fowler has revealed a very flattering comparison for the senior pass-catcher: Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown.

More specifically, Fowler said that Egbuka has "the short-area nuance" of St. Brown.

"While Egbuka doesn't have the explosiveness of a Terry McLaurin, or the 50/50 ability of a Garrett Wilson coming out of Columbus, his route-running and suddenness out of the slot makes him a special prospect," Fowler wrote. "The ways in which he wins make him a similar prospect to St. Brown, and more recently, Jaxon Smith-Njigba."

St. Brown has established himself as one of the NFL's best receivers and posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2022 and 2023 (he finished with 1,515 yards last season, earning himself a First-Team All-Pro selection).

Through Ohio State's first five games of 2024, Egbuka has caught 30 passes for 433 yards and five touchdowns, nearly equaling his numbers in 10 contests last year when he logged 41 catches for 515 yards and four scores before succumbing to injury.

Egbuka arrived at Columbus in 2021 and broke out during his sophomore campaign, hauling in 74 receptions for 1,151 yards while reaching the end zone 10 times.

The 21-year-old is coming off of a spectacular performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes in which he posted nine grabs for 71 yards and three touchdowns.

Egbuka may very well have been a first-round pick had he entered the draft last spring, but he chose to return to the Buckeyes for his final year of eligibility.


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