Being Ohio State's second-best wide receiver is still one of the most productive players at the position in the Big Ten every year.
With Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate returning to the Buckeyes for the 2025 season amid reports of tampering, much has been made about how loaded the Buckeyes are at wide receiver, just as the position has been every year under Ryan Day. Brian Hartline is one of the best assistant coaches and recruiters in college football; he has already proven that and continues to do so time and time again.
Smith, who will arguably be the best player in college football entering next season, will be WR1 for the Buckeyes, and rightfully so. While a player like Tate has the talent to be the best wide receiver on his team, he won't be as long as Smith is on the roster. That was part of the pitch that teams trying to entice Tate to enter the transfer portal could make: Tate would get paid and be the best wide receiver on that team.
Some considered Ohio State's 2024 national championship was one that it bought, not earned, the type of narrative that is completely made up. That said, the irony is that now it appears that opposing programs – including some of the best teams in the country – attempted to buy players away from the Buckeyes, players who are not only among the best at the position but have also been developed under Hartline.
Even with the enticing NIL offers from elsewhere, Tate decided to stay in Columbus. Part of that is because of the brotherhood and wanting to stay with his teammates and be coached and developed by Hartline, a process that has led to plenty of success, both in college and in the NFL. But it also made sense from a production perspective because ever since Day took over in Columbus, Ohio State's No. 2 receiver every season has still been one of the best receivers in the country.
| SEASON | WR2 | RECEIVING STATS | B1G/NATIONAL RANKS (YARDS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | EMEKA EGBUKA | 81 CATCHES, 1,011 YARDS, 10 TD | 9th / 28th |
| 2023 | EMEKA EGBUKA | 41 CATCHES, 515 YARDS, 4 TD | 29th / 213th |
| 2022 | EMEKA EGBUKA | 74 CATCHES, 1,151 YARDS, 10 TD | 3rd / 9th |
| 2021 | GARRETT WILSON | 70 CATCHES, 1,058 YARDS, 12 TD | 4th / 33rd |
| 2020* | GARRETT WILSON | 43 CATCHES, 723 YARDS, 6 TD | 3rd / 39th |
| 2019 | K.J. HILL | 57 CATCHES, 636 YARDS, 10 TD | 15th / 151st |
| AVG: 61 CATCHES, 849 YD, 8.7 TD |
2024
WR2: Emeka Egbuka – 81 catches, 1,011 yards, 10 touchdowns
Egbuka's OSU career is a great example of how productive and good a player can be as WR2 in Columbus. He was never atop the depth chart at the position but Egbuka had two 1,000-yard seasons and paired that with becoming Ohio State's all-time receptions leader while leading OSU to a national championship in his last game as a Buckeye.
Even with Smith taking much of the spotlight, Egbuka continued to shine, both in the box score and with his intangibles as the leader in the wide receivers room. He posted six games with at least 80 receiving yards and 10 games with at least five receptions in OSU’s longest season (16 games) ever.
2023
WR2: Emeka Egbuka – 41 catches, 515 yards, 4 touchdowns
For the first time since 1993, when Cedric Saunders had the second-most receiving yards (281), a tight end (Cade Stover, 576) had the second-most receiving yards on the team in 2023, behind only Marvin Harrison Jr. (1,211).
Egbuka's production, or lack thereof, was due to a high ankle sprain that caused him to only play in 10 games. Although he still played in double-digit games, Egbuka was never really the same after suffering the injury against Notre Dame in the fourth game of the season.
2022
WR2: Emeka Egbuka – 74 catches, 1,151 yards, 10 touchdowns
Even though Harrison had the spotlight at the position, and deservedly so, Egbuka almost finished with as many catches (74 to 77) and yards (1,151 to 1,263) as Harrison did throughout the season. C.J. Stroud’s Big Ten-leading 3,688 passing yards certainly played a part in that, but Egbuka still found plenty of ways to fill the stat sheet even with Harrison's numbers in his first season as a starter.
2021
WR2: Garrett Wilson – 70 catches, 1,058, 12 touchdowns
The Buckeyes had a three-headed monster at wide receiver in 2021 as Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,606 yards), Wilson (1,058) and Chris Olave (936) dominated the opposition as Stroud (conference-leading 4,435 passing yards) made sure to feed the trio.
Wilson put up those numbers in just 11 games, finishing with 96.2 receiving yards per game.
2020
WR2: Garrett Wilson – 43 catches, 723 yards, 6 touchdowns
Even in a COVID-shortened season, Wilson was still able to average 90.4 yards per game in eight games and had six fewer yards on the season than Olave, who led the team with 729 receiving yards.
2019
WR2: K.J. Hill – 57 catches, 636 yards, 10 touchdowns
Although Justin Fields led the Big Ten with 3,273 passing yards, he spread the wealth, as Ohio State's top five receivers in Day’s first season as coach had between 361 to 849 yards each. The sure-handed Hill led the team with 57 receptions and scored double-digit touchdowns even though he finished with the second-most receiving yards (636) behind Olave (849).
