Best-case, worst-case scenario for Buckeyes wide receiver room
COLUMBUS — Brian Hartline has done it again: Ohio State has the best wide receiver room in the country — on paper.
Yes, on paper. Because while five-star players litter the Buckeyes receiver rotation, only one of them, Emeka Egbuka, has real big-time game experience across multiple seasons. The rest of the potential difference makers still need to prove themselves.
That’s not a bad thing. It’s a similar position to 2022, when Ohio State had proven veteran Jaxon Smith-Njigba to go along with unproven youngsters Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Hartline has restocked his receiver room before. He can certainly do it again this offseason.
Ohio State yet again has a loaded wide receiver unit full of talent — albeit unproven talent nearly across the board. Lettermen Row is in the final stages of Wide Receivers Week, and we’re charting the best-case scenario and the worst-case scenario for the Buckeyes pass-catchers.
Let’s break it down.
Best-case scenario for Ohio State wide receivers
It all starts with the senior leader of the group: Emeka Egbuka. The best-case scenario includes a full, healthy slate from Egbuka as he barrels toward some big-time career records at Ohio State. He needs 1,042 yards receiving to have more yards than any receiver in Buckeyes history, and he gets there in the best-case scenario by moving from inside to outside, wherever the matchups suit him best from game-to-game.
If Ohio State is able to create matchup problems with Egbuka, Brandon Inniss is the reason why. And even though he missed the back half of spring football, he did more than enough to show why he’s a shifty, athletic option in the slot who can get open and create matchup problems with safeties, nickels and linebackers. He proved all of that at the high school level with his show-stopping highlights at receiver and at returner.
Carnell Tate, meanwhile, becomes a stud on the outside after having a breakout freshman season last year, while true freshman and five-star, No. 1 overall prospect in his class Jeremiah Smith shows why he was ranked in that slot. He was a highlight reel in his first spring, and that continues into his first season with the Buckeyes.
Oh, and this also includes Jayden Ballard finally becoming a down-field threat for the wide receivers, while Mylan Graham and Bryson Rodgers add to the rotation that proves it’ll be just as good in 2025 — when Egbuka is gone to the NFL.
Ohio State can have one of the best all-around offenses in the sport if the pass-catchers have another good year — and match the production of the Buckeyes superb rushing attack they expect to field.
Worst-case scenario
If Emeka Egbuka has an injury setback during his senior season like he had last year, the Buckeyes receivers could see a step back in production. Simple as that. Because replacing a legendary receiver like Marvin Harrison Jr. will require all available weapons to be at their best, especially Egbuka.
Yes, this entire room is still bursting with talent, but if the room is leader-less and led instead by nearly all underclassmen, things could look differently. Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss are stepping into roles they’ve never had in college football before. So is Jeremiah Smith, even with how talented he is as the former top overall prospect in the country. Those three could struggle in their expanded roles — or at least need some time to settle into them.
As for Jayden Ballard, he doesn’t take those necessary steps to become a regular contributor, while Bryson Rodgers and Mylan Graham simply aren’t ready for expanded roles in the offense just yet — which is fine for younger and still-developing receivers.
Egbuka means a lot to this receiver room and this offense. He will determine the ceiling of the room and whether it can avoid a few bad scenarios this fall.
What’s more likely: It’s the Ohio State wide receiver room. It’s far more likely that the insane collection of talent on the roster lives up to its expectations than them having a down year. While it’s still possible to see a decline after the departure of Marvin Harrison Jr. to the NFL, the more likely scenario is the best-case.
The post Best-case, worst-case scenario for Buckeyes wide receiver room appeared first on On3.
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