Five Ohio State players named preseason AP All-Americans
COLUMBUS — Ohio State had five AP All-Americans last year, and the Buckeyes have five preseason AP All-Americans ahead of this season.
Those honorees include linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (first team), defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau (second team), left guard Donovan Jackson (second team) and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. (first team) and Emeka Egbuka (first team).
In 2022, Harrison was a first-team AP All-American, and Eichenberg was a second-team AP All-American.
Back-to-back national champion Georgia, the preseason No. 1 team in the country, fittingly has the most preseason AP All-Americans ahead of the 2023 campaign: The Bulldogs’ four first-team honorees are tight end Brock Bowers, center Sedrick Van Pran, safety Malaki Starks and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson.
Ohio State came close to beating Georgia in last year’s Peach Bowl College Football Playoff, so it’s also fitting that the Buckeyes are right behind the Bulldogs with the second-most first-team preseason AP All-Americans.
LB Tommy Eichenberg
Eichenberg is the heart of the Buckeyes’ defense. He was fifth nationally with 77 solo tackles last year. He also led Ohio State with 12 tackles for loss and was third on the team with 23 pressures generated, according to Pro Football Focus.
DE J.T. Tuimoloau
Tuimoloau has superstar potential. His performance at Penn State last season demonstrated that: Tuimoloau was the catalyst for four takeaways in that game, including his own pick-six that sealed a comeback win in Happy Valley. Consistency will be the key for Tuimoloau in 2023.
LG Donovan Jackson
Jackson is one of two returning starting guards for the Buckeyes this season. He has the makings of high-round NFL Draft pick, and he’s emerged as the leader of the Ohio State offensive line this offseason. Jackson turned in an 80.1 PFF run blocking grade last season but has room to grow in pass protection after giving up two sacks and 13 pressures, per PFF, in 2022.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison’s ascent to stardom is well-documented at this point. The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., he’s paved his own path at Ohio State, which saw him first break out in the Rose Bowl as a true freshman and then become a Biletnikoff Award finalist as a sophomore. Harrison Jr. is projected to be the highest-drafted wide receiver since Calvin Johnson Jr. went No. 2 overall in 2007.
WR Emeka Egbuka
Egbuka is the other half of a dynamic wide receiver duo. He could easily be the second wideout taken in next year’s NFL Draft. Egbuka, like Harrison, is coming off a 1,000-yard receiving season. He caught 74 balls, nine times registering five or more grabs in a game, and scored 12 total touchdowns (10 receiving, two rushing) in 2022. The Steilacoom, Washington, native was also the Buckeyes’ leader in yards after the catch (526) last season, per PFF.
