BREAKING: Emeka Egbuka spurns Caleb Williams, Sooners in favor of Ohio State
Caleb Williams gave it his best shot, but in the end, he and the Sooners couldn't quite sway Emeka Egbuka.
Egbuka, the No. 1 overall wide receiver in SI All-American's 2021 class rankings, committed to Ohio State on Friday night in a bombshell announcement. The decision came just a week after he visited Norman for the first time, which kindled optimism among the Oklahoma fan base that he'd become a Sooner.
Egbuka tweeted earlier in the week that he'd make his decision Friday, and listed OU alongside Ohio State and Washington in his final three. However, the Huskies were never considered a serious contender for Egbuka's pledge, and it's long been apparent that the Steilacoom (Wash.) standout would take his talents to either Columbus or Norman. But Egbuka never gave any inkling that he preferred the Buckeyes over the Sooners, or vice versa.
That, in conjunction with the fact that Egbuka is SI All-American's No. 10 overall player in the 2021 cycle, made for a highly anticipated announcement. In the era of nonstop insider recruiting coverage, it's not often that a high-profile player's verbal pledge is a legitimate surprise. More often than not, a commitment simply confirms rumors and reports from various journalistic entities. But Egbuka largely kept his feelings covert, and there was no clear indication that he was leaning toward one school or the other.
However, his visit to the Sooner State a week ago raised more than a few eyebrows. Williams, Oklahoma's prodigious quarterback commit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the class, hosted Egbuka in Norman. The two attended the Sooners' tilt with Baylor together, and also held a throwing session that Williams broadcast on Instagram Live.
"He's a really smooth receiver," said Williams of Egbuka. "He's also a smart receiver. An understanding receiver. He understands what his QB wants, which is always good. So our connection, when we first started throwing, it was pretty easy to throw to him. Just understanding where the QB wants you, when that happens, you normally get the ball way more than usual. He understood his routes [and] where I wanted him, and like I said, he ran really smooth routes and has really good hands."
Unfortunately for Williams, he won't get the chance to replicate that connection with Egbuka at the collegiate level. Instead, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound dynamo becomes the odds-on favorite toy for Kyle McCord, the Buckeyes' ballyhooed 2021 quarterback commit.
Nevertheless, Oklahoma isn't exactly hurting for playmakers in the passing game. OU owns commitments from Mario Williams, Cody Jackson and Jalil Farooq, plus electrifying ATH Billy Bowman, who also figures to play wideout as a Sooner. Should the Sooners also land running back Camar Wheaton on Dec. 23, they'd join Ohio State as the only schools with pledges from multiple recruits in the SIAA overall top 10.
Per SIAA's positional rankings, Mario Williams is listed as the No. 1 slot receiver, though Egbuka is both the No. 1 outside receiver and No. 1 overall receiver. Oklahoma also has the No. 1 quarterback in Caleb Williams, and looks to be in solid shape to secure the No. 2 running back in Wheaton. Come next week, there's also an excellent chance that the Sooners add the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in Bryce Foster, who will commit on Dec. 18.
To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.
