Scarlet Sunrise: PFF ranks Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka top-two returning wideouts in FBS

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PFF ranks Ohio State WRs Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka top-two returning wideouts in FBS

Pro Football Focus college football analyst Max Chadwick released his ranking of the top-10 returning wide receivers for the 2023 college football season, and both Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka made the list. Not only did the Buckeyes wide receiver pairing make the list, but they were at the top of it.

Chadwick has Harrison at No. 1 and Egbuka at No. 2.

We still don’t know who will be throwing the ball to those two now that two-time Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud is off to the NFL. But we know it’s either going to be Kyle McCord or Devin Brown.

Rest assured, Ohio State’s QB1 in 2023 will have weapons at his disposal. Both Harrison and Egbuka went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark as sophomores. Harrison was a Biletnikoff Award finalist after he caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season. All 14 of those scores were against single coverage, according to PFF, a mark that was tops among FBS wideouts.

On the other hand, Egbuka’s 2.98 yards per route run was third among Power Five wideouts this past season, according to PFF. Egbuka caught at least five passes in nine of his 13 games and rounded out the 2022 campaign with 1,151 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Top 10 returning WRs in College Football for the 2023 season

Via @Chad_Maxwick pic.twitter.com/3S5b8f8Lx1

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 2, 2023

Breaking down five Buckeyes prospects from ‘Simmons Scoop’

It’s never too early to look at what’s ahead for the Buckeyes on the recruiting trail. After all, Ohio State already has three commits in its 2024 class: Jeremiah Smith, Ian Moore and Garrett Stover.

But who’s next?

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons recently released his first major ‘Simmons Scoop‘ on the 2024 cycle. Spoiler alert: The Buckeyes are featured.

Lettermen Row narrowed Simmons’ list down to five prospects with Ohio State ties, and recruiting analyst Matt Parker offered insight on each of them.

Check it out here.

Breaking down five more Ohio State prospects from ‘Simmons Scoop’

With loss at Michigan, Ohio State dips below .500

Ohio State hoops hasn’t been below .500 this late in the season since 2003-04, the final year Jim O’Brien was head coach. The Buckeyes dropped to 11-12, and 3-9 in Big Ten competition, with a 77-69 loss at Michigan Sunday.

Ohio State shot worse than 42% from the field for the sixth time this season Sunday in Ann Arbor. Current head coach Chris Holtmann’s team hung around for the first 30 or so minutes of play because of 12 free throws, a two-rebound advantage and only one first-half turnover. A career-high 22 points from freshman point guard Bruce Thornton helped, too.

The Buckeyes never led, though. The closest they got to Michigan in the second half was three points — a deficit they actually faced three times in the opening six minutes of the final frame.

But when Ohio State needed defensive stops most, it couldn’t get them. Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson was the biggest thorn in the Buckeyes’ side. He finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

For the full game story, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 208 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 292 days

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