 The Ohio State Buckeyes anticipated losing several stars to the 2024 NFL Draught, including Marvin Harrison Jr.
With one of the bAccordingest defences in the country and All-American wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at the centre, the Ohio State Buckeyes are the best team in college football this year. But with this talented roster, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes coaching staff may only have a brief window of opportunity to make things work,
On both sides of the ball, Ohio State boasts a roster full of the top players in college football. Every week, scouts, executives, and general managers from multiple NFL teams attend the Buckeyes game, all of whom are interested in the upcoming class of players.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s 2023 stats include six touchdowns, 773 scrimmage yards, 766 receiving yards, and 42 receptions in seven games (18.2 yards per catch).
The coaching staff of the Buckeyes was aware that Harrison Jr. would only be available for a limited period of time. The son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer was being touted by NFL teams as the best wide receiver outside of the league after a unanimous All-American season in 2022. Many thought he could step in quickly and challenge for All-Pro status in the NFL, much like Ja’Marr Chase did in his rookie season, even though teams knew they would have to wait for him.
While Harrison Jr. was always expected to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, he reportedly isn’t the only prominent player likely leaving the team.
According to Tony Pauline, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is actively meeting with agents and will follow his teammate to the NFL, foregoing an opportunity to return to Ohio State in 2024.
It would be a bit of an interesting decision, one that falls in line with the same choice former Buckeyes’ star Jaxon Smith-Njigba made this past offseason has played in just five of seven games for Ohio State due to injuries. He’s been far more inconsistent compared to last season, finishing with fewer than 60 receiving yards in three contests and having four games without a touchdown. In 2022, Egbuka finished under 60 yards just three times and scored in 9-of-13 games.
Not only will Egbuka likely not be coming off a strong season, he might also run into some issues during the pre-draft process. Pauline also notes that Egbuka is not expected to test extremely well athletically, but NFL teams remain high on him in a class of pass-catchers that isn’t viewed as super deep.
