Scarlet Sunrise: Recapping everything we learned from Lettermen Row 'Wide Receivers Week'

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Recapping everything we learned from Lettermen Row ‘Wide Receivers Week’

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner. He’s Ohio State’s most recent Heisman Trophy finalist. But he’s also an Arizona Cardinal.

Harrison is beginning his NFL career in the desert.

The Ohio State wide receiver room has adjusted to life without him, as a new era of “Zone 6” is taking hold. Now a senior leader, Emeka Egbuka is bridging the gap.

During Lettermen Row “Wide Receivers Week,” we covered every angle of the Buckeyes’ skilled yet relatively unproven receiving corps.

Here’s a look at some components of that coverage…

THE BASICS

We outlined the measurables of Ohio State’s scholarship wide receivers, in addition to where each of them went to high school, what recruiting ranking they received, who they picked the Buckeyes over and their biggest strength, among other things.

Then we mapped out the career path of those Buckeyes wideouts. Egbuka is back for his senior season and already has a 1,000-yard receiving season under his belt. He returns, by far, the most production in the room. Ohio State will lean on potential underclassman stars, such as sophomores Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss as well as true freshman Jeremiah Smith. Tate, Inniss and Smith all played with each other on the South Florida Express 7-on-7 team — now they’re teammates again.

READ: Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes wide receivers
READ: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each Buckeyes WR so far

IS EMEKA EGBUKA THE NEXT OHIO STATE WR1?

With Harrison gone, Ohio State needs a new WR1. Egbuka is in position to take on that role. He’ll be moving around more than he did the last two seasons, and perhaps last season’s Cotton Bowl served as a sneak peek. He lined up out wide for 75% of his pass snaps, in other words for 21-of-28 pass snaps, during the New Year’s Six showdown, according to Pro Football Focus. For refrence, Egbuka lined up in the slot for 72.5% of his pass snaps in 2023 and 68.3% of his pass snaps in 2022. 

Aside from the Cotton Bowl, there have been just two other times in Egbuka’s career when he’s recorded more than 70% of his pass snaps in a game out wide, per PFF. But while emerging as the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 wideout in the 2021 class, he starred on the outside at Steilacoom High School in Washington. Regardless of where he is on the field, he has a good chance of not only being the Buckeyes’ go-to target in 2024 but also leaving Ohio State as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards, and maybe even receptions, too.

READ: Five Questions for Buckeyes talent-laden wide receiver room
READ: Breaking down projected Buckeyes wide receiver depth chart
READ: Breaking down PFF stats to know about Emeka Egbuka

ARE CARNELL TATE, BRANDON INNISS READY FOR YEAR 2 BREAKOUTS?

Tate turned heads last spring and summer. He even wowed Harrison, who notably declared that Tate, as a true freshman, was better than Harrison was when he was going into his sophomore unanimous All-American season. Although Tate didn’t quite live up to those grand expectations, or even break out per se, he did put forth a solid first year with the Buckeyes. In fact, he had more targets, receptions and receiving yards as a true freshman than Harrison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Chris Olave did as first-year Buckeyes players, per PFF.

The question is, can Tate follow in Harrison’s footsteps with a star-level Year 2. And is that ascension in the cards for Inniss as well? Because Inniss enrolled last summer, and not last spring, he didn’t have the same extended offseason opportunity as Tate to learn the offense and compete for playing time. Inniss scattered only 32 offensive snaps across six games during the 2023 campaign, per PFF. His lone catch went for a 58-yard touchdown, though. Regardless if he starts or not, Inniss could make a significant contribution in 2024.

READ: How Brandon Inniss can thrive in slot role for Buckeyes
READ: Competition fueling brotherly connection between Brandon Inniss, Carnell Tate

THE JEREMIAH SMITH EFFECT

Smith stole the spotlight on National Signing Day in December when he officially joined the Buckeyes as the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He stole the spotlight again during the spring season when he made viral catch after viral catch in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Except, Smith doesn’t call for the attention — he’s not much of a talker. Instead, he lets his play and his work ethic do the talking for him.

No Ohio State true freshman has shed his black stripe faster than Smith did this spring: All it took was four practices. The Hollywood, Florida, native is a generational talent. Typically, Buckeyes first-year wideouts don’t see starter-level snap counts. Smith, however, seems to be the exception to the rule for a lot of things.

READ: Ask the Expert: Are first-year expectations for Jeremiah Smith realistic?
READ: Three records Buckeyes wide receivers could break this season

Full coverage of ‘Wide Receivers Week’ at Lettermen Row

READ: Five Questions for Buckeyes talent-laden wide receiver room
READ: Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes wide receivers
READ: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each Buckeyes WR so far
READ: Breaking down projected Buckeyes wide receiver depth chart
READ: Unpacking Ohio State wide receiver recruiting thoughts, predictions
READ: How Brandon Inniss can thrive in slot role for Buckeyes
READ: Jayden Ballard working on consistency, aiming to carve out role in Buckeyes receiver room
READ: Breaking down PFF stats to know about Emeka Egbuka
READ: Ask the Expert: Are first-year expectations for Jeremiah Smith realistic?
READ: Competition fueling brotherly connection between Brandon Inniss, Carnell Tate
READ: How Bryson Rodgers could make impact for Buckeyes after nearly leaving through transfer portal
READ: What Ohio State is getting in summer arrival Mylan Graham
READ: Ohio State walk-on wide receivers to keep an eye on this season
READ: Most difficult Ohio State receiving records to break
READ: Three records Buckeyes wide receivers could break this season
READ: Three big predictions for Buckeyes loaded wide receiver room
READ: Lettermen Row member mailbag: Wide Receiver Week questions answered
READ: Best-case, worst-case scenario for Buckeyes wide receiver room
READ: Roundtable: While relatively unproven, Ohio State receiving corps has limitless potential

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 82 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 173 days

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