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Ohio State football was bombarded with ridicule after losing to arch rival Michigan at home on Nov. 30. Fast forward to present day, and the reigning national champions could possibly enjoy historic representation at the 2025 NFL Draft.
The team will be sending many congratulatory messages this week. The only question is how many?
“Ohio State had 15 prospects in Matt Miller's seven-round mock draft, the most of any school,” ESPN's Adam Schefter writes. “If there are 15 Buckeyes drafted, it would be the program's most in a single year, surpassing the 14 it had selected in 2004.”
It is only fitting that a supremely talented group, one that navigated a highly challenging path on its way to a title win, flirts with school history. The Buckeyes' impact on the sport will carry into the professional level.
This star WR could come up huge at the NFL Draft
The beloved Emeka Egbuka might just be the squad's most coveted prospect in the 2025 class. He is Ohio State's all-time leader in receptions (205) and receiving yards (2,868) and ranks seventh in touchdowns (24). Considering the illustrious wide receiver tradition the program has crafted, his placement on those respective lists carries a great deal of significance.
“One guy I've been saying over and over, and I think he's a special guy, is Emeka Egbuka,” quarterback Will Howard said, per Schefter. “He's been special throughout his whole career here, and he's going to be special at the next level. I see something different with him, man.
“He's got unbelievable route-running ability, he's got great speed, he's got some of the best hands that I've been around. On top of that man, he's one of the best guys I've been around. He's super into his faith, understands the game like a quarterback. You could sit him down in a quarterback meeting and he spit stuff out damn near like I could, and it's pretty impressive. I know he's got a really bright future ahead of him.”
Ohio State football hopes to send a strong message
Egbuka figures to land somewhere between the teens and 20s in the 2025 NFL Draft. Offensive linemen Donovan Jackson and Josh Simmons, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and running back TreVeyon Henderson could also hear their names called during the first round on Thursday, April 24.
The Buckeyes will then boast a strong presence over the weekend, as teams try to fill out their rosters on Day 2 and Day 3. Howard, the man who exhibited exemplary chemistry with Egbuka this past season, is an intriguing mid to late round selection worth monitoring.
He completed 73 percent of his pass attempts for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns in 16 games. The 23-year-old is determined to prove he is much more than just a beneficiary of his environment.
There are plenty of other intriguing Ohio State players lurking within the prospect pool. If they get that long-awaited phone call during the NFL Draft, the legacy of the 2024-25 team may somehow rise to even bigger heights.
