Ohio State is hoping that its 2021 recruiting class will finish with a bang down the home stretch. The Buckeyes are in on a trio of Top 100 prospects with the cycle reaching its final eight weeks. On Friday night, a huge domino fell with five-star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka giving his verbal commitment to Ohio State.
The Steilacoom (Wash.) star has been courted by the Buckeyes for more than two years now and Ohio State was able to hold off in-state Washington as well as a late push from Oklahoma to secure a verbal commitment from Egbuka, the nation’s top-ranked wide receiver prospect in the 2021 class.
Despite the COVID shutdown that has kept the NCAA in a recruiting Dead Period since March, Egbuka has visited Ohio State twice, both during the 2019 calendar year. Egbuka first visited Ohio State in March of 2019 and then again in the fall of 2019. Ultimately the comfort level Egbuka had with Ohio State from those two visits, combined with prolonged relationships with wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and head coach Ryan Day won out. Ohio State is once again looking at potentially signing the top wide receiver class in the nation as Egbuka joins Top 100 talents Jayden Ballard and Marvin Harrison Jr. in the loaded class.
Ohio State is in a heated battle with Alabama for the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class for 2021 and Egbuka’s commitment was a necessary piece of the puzzle if the Buckeyes hope wrestle away the top spot from the Crimson Tide. Egbuka is commitment No. 22 for Ohio State’s class
Ohio State’s recruiting focus for finishing the 2021 class of is now almost entirely centered around another Washington five-star in Eastside Catholic defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau as well as Top 100 linebacker Raesjon Davis out of California powerhouse Mater Dei.
Egbuka is expected to sign his Letter of Intent with Ohio State when the Early Signing Period opens up on Wednesday. There has not been a formal decision yet on whether or not Egbuka will enroll in January at Ohio State. Egbuka’s senior season was postponed until the spring and he has been weighing his options no particpating in that spring season.
Stay tuned to BuckeyeScoop.com for more analysis of this huge commitment for Ohio State.
