As the top-ranked wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class, Emeka Egbuka could have gone to just about any school he wanted. He intentionally chose to go to the school where he’d have the most competition to get on the field.
When Egbuka arrived at Ohio State in 2021, he entered a wide receiver room that included four future first-round NFL draft picks – Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jameson Williams – alongside another future first-round pick (Marvin Harrison Jr.) in his recruiting class. While there were plenty of other schools where Egbuka would have had a chance to start as a freshman, Egbuka had to wait his turn behind Wilson, Olave and Smith-Njigba in year one at Ohio State – but he knew that would make him a better player in the long run.