Ohio State superstar cements legacy atop program’s legendary wide receivers with another all-time record

Senior Emeka Egbuka is now the program's all-time leader in receptions after catching four passes through the first two quarters of the national championship game against Notre Dame.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2)
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Ohio State has historically been loaded at wide receiver, but remarkably among the legendary names to don the scarlet and grey, Emeka Egbuka has a case as the greatest. In the second quarter of the Buckeye’s national championship matchup with Notre Dame, Egbuka became the program’s all-time leader in career receptions, passing KJ Hill with 202.

Egbuka opted not to enter the 2024 NFL draft last offseason, instead returning to Columbus for a shot to cement his legacy, not just as a national champion, but atop the Ohio State football record books. Earlier this season, the senior receiver surpassed Michael Jenkins as the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards as well. He is seventh in all-time touchdown receptions. 

Through Ohio State’s first two drives of the national title game on Monday night in Atlanta, Egbuka caught four passes for 33 yards as the Buckeyes took a 14-7 lead. The former 2021 five-star recruit entered Monday night leading offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s unit in receptions with 75 for 947 yards, second to Jeremiah Smith, the freshman phenom. Still, he may be transfer quarterback Will Howard’s most trustworthy option in the big moments, such as a national championship. 

As he has this season next to Smith, Egbuka has spent much of his career in the shadow of bigger Ohio State stars. In 2023, Egbuka was the No. 2 receiver behind Marvin Harrison Jr. the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s NFL draft. Harrison led the team in receiving in both 2022 and 2023, catching passes from CJ Stroud and Kyle McCord. Now, finally, Egbuka, the rare Ohio State star receiver to stay in college for four seasons, is No. 1, and likely a first-round pick in April. 

Since Ryan Day took over the program in 2019, Ohio State has produced four first-round wide receivers, Harrison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave. Olavae is third all-time in receptions, Harrison is sixth, Wilson is ninth, and NFL Hall of Famer Chris Carter is seventh, but Egbuka has outdone them all.

Schedule

Schedule