How Ohio State became Wide Receiver U - ESPN

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three years ago, Emeka Egbuka turned to All-American wideout Garrett Wilson and put the junior on notice. «I'm coming for you!» Egbuka, then a five-star freshman receiver, told his new Ohio State teammate during conditioning drills.

Egbuka and fellow blue-chip freshman receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had already trounced Wilson in the weight room earlier that summer. The two arrived in Columbus able to bench press 225 pounds a dozen-plus times. Wilson remained stuck testing on the 185-pound bar.

Wilson, the No. 2 overall receiver in the Class of 2019, ultimately defeated Egbuka in their race that day. Pushed by the freshmen, he also significantly improved his bench press, putting up 225 several times by year's end. Wilson went on to become the 10th pick of the New York Jets in 2022, then earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

"[The Buckeyes] recruit a certain type of receiver," Wilson told ESPN. «The ones that want to come to Ohio State ain't scared to go play with other five-star [receivers].… That says a lot about the confidence they have in their ability.»

Fierce internal competition is just one element of the secret sauce that has transformed Ohio State's receiving corps into one of college football's few truly elite position groups perennially. In Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Harrison, the Buckeyes have produced a whopping four first-round picks at receiver over the past three drafts. Over that span, no college program has generated more first-round selections from the same position.

«We challenge each other.… I think that's what's made us so elite at what we do,» Egbuka said in a phone interview. «If you ever take a day off, it's going to come back to bite you. That's given us