Every college football season is big in Columbus, Ohio, where the annual expectation is to win the Big Ten, a national championship, and, of course, beat Michigan.
However, the stakes feel especially high this season because the Buckeyes haven’t completed any of those tasks since the 2020 season, so the pressure is on for head coach Ryan Day and his best players.
Here are the top three Ohio State prospects to watch ahead of the NFL Draft, which begins April 24, 2025:
Emeka Egbuka | Wide receiver
ESPN’s Matt Miller on Egbuka: “A savvy route runner with sure hands.”
Prospect ranking:
Pro Football Focus (No. 19), Tankathon (No. 13), Pro Football Network (No. 14)
We would never get through an Ohio State draft article without discussing wide receiver. Egbuka (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) looks to join an incredibly distinguished list of receivers to wear Scarlet and Gray and then go on to the NFL.
After a breakout season in 2022 (74 receptions, 1,151 yards, 10 TD catches), Egbuka took a step back in 2023, with each number cut approximately in half (41/515/4). He was dealing with injuries and poor quarterback play, though, so he can return to his best in 2024.Â
With elite speed that should land him a 40-yard dash time in the neighborhood of 4.3 seconds, Egbuka will be targeted by much of the NFL and can reasonably expect to be a first-round pick.Â