Buccaneers Make Fiery Emeka Egbuka Announcement

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made a strong announcement on former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) catches a touchdown in front of Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Johnson (3) during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) catches a touchdown in front of Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Johnson (3) during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star Emeka Egbuka found a rather surprising home during the NFL Draft, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the 19th overall pick.

Given that the Buccaneers already had a pair of dynamic wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, not to mention intriguing young pieces like Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer, their decision to nab Egbuka was a bit jarring, but, nevertheless, here we are.

Tampa Bay is obviously excited to have the Ohio State product in tow, as it posted a strong Egbuka message on social media this week.

Egbuka seems to have a great chance of slotting in as the Bucs' No. 3 receiver behind Evans and Godwin heading into 2025, so he stands to get plenty of attention from Baker Mayfield during his rookie campaign.

The 22-year-old spent four years with the Buckeyes, registering a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns. Most recently, Egbuka hauled in 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns during his final season at Columbus, helping Ohio State win a national championship.

Egbuka's best individual collegiate season, however, came back in 2022, when he caught 74 passes for 1,151 yards and 10 scores, averaging a hefty 15.6 yards per grab.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound receiver is not flashy, but he is a terrific route runner, has very sure hands and should comprise a very dependable weapon for Mayfield and the Buccaneers' offense.

Tampa Bay is a dark horse Super Bowl contender in the NFC, so Egbuka will absolutely be playing very meaningful football right off the bat.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.