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- Ohio State wide receivers 2021
- Ohio State WR depth chart
- Ohio State wide receiver meme
- Ohio State's 2021 WRs in NFL Draft
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ football program has a reputation that speaks for itself.
Through 2024, the Buckeyes have claimed nine national championships and produced countless players across NFL rosters. Among them is a remarkable group of wide receivers who all wore the scarlet and gray at the same time.
Before Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson were making plays on Sundays, they were terrorizing secondaries in Columbus.
Here’s a closer look at the elite WR corps that suited up for Ohio State in 2021 and an examination of how they’ve risen to stardom at the next level.
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Ohio State wide receivers 2021
Emeka Egbuka
Egbuka was a freshman on the 2021 Ohio State football team. He entered Columbus, Ohio, as a five-star recruit and the No. 1-ranked WR in the class of 2021, per 247Sports.
In his first year of college ball, Egbuka caught nine passes for 191 yards, including an 85-yard reception.
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison, the son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer of the same name, had a reputation that preceded him before becoming a Buckeye. That said, he was a four-star recruit and 247Sports' 21st-ranked WR in the high school class of 2021.
As a freshman in 2021, Harrison caught 11 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
Chris Olave
Olave was a senior on the 2021 team and effectively WR1. He didn't lead the team in receptions (65) or yards (936), but he was the leader in receiving touchdowns with 13.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The 2021 season was Smith-Njigba's second at Ohio State, and he joined the program after being ranked as 247Sports' fifth-best WR in the 2020 recruiting class.
Smith-Njigba was a nightmare for opposing defenses, catching a team-high 95 passes for a team-high 1,606 yards on the season. He also scored nine receiving touchdowns that season.
Garrett Wilson
Wilson, a junior on the 2021 roster, was another one of the more seasoned members of the WR room. Despite opting out of the Rose Bowl, he finished the season with 70 receptions for 1,058 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.
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Ohio State WR depth chart
Olave, the senior, had developed into WR1 while Wilson was WR2 in the slot. Smith-Njigba filled WR3 duties
| WR | Player |
| 1 | Chris Olave |
| 2 | Garrett Wilson |
| 3 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba |
| 4 | Emeka Egbuka |
| 5 | Julian Fleming |
| 6 | Marvin Harrison Jr. |
Ohio State wide receiver meme
As members from the WR room continued to make names for themselves, Pro Football Focus' college account shared a photo of Harrison, Wilson, Smith-Njigba, and Olave speaking with quarterback CJ Stroud.
caption this, @OhioStateFB fans🔥 pic.twitter.com/BvPddeIRib
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 22, 2023
The post, which read "caption this, [Ohio State football] fans," quickly backfired as it captured the attention of everyone but fans of the program.
Responses made light of the talented unit's inability to defeat Michigan and the team's inability to win a national title as constructed. SEC Outsider responded, saying, "Hands down best receiver group to never win a playoff game," while an Ohio State fan page lamented the group's lack of success by saying, "Defense wins championships" in a response.
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Ohio State's 2021 WRs in NFL Draft
Stats through Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season.
Garrett Wilson: 2022 NFL Draft, 1st round, 10th overall pick
NFL stats: 300 receptions, 3,478 receiving yards, 16 receiving TDs
Wilson was selected 10th overall by the New York Jets in the 2022 NFL Draft.
He immediately took the league by storm, winning the 2022 Rookie of the Year award after catching 83 passes for 1,103 yards. Despite playing with various starting QBs, he turned in 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons.
Chris Olave: 2022 NFL Draft, 1st round, 11th overall pick
NFL stats: 214 receptions, 2,730 receiving yards, 10 receiving TDs
Olave has battled injuries throughout his NFL career, but he has been a problem for opposing defenses while on the field.
Before being limited to just eight games in his third season, Olave turned in back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus yards to open his career with the Saints. He scored his 10th career touchdown in Year 3 with the New Orleans Saints.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 2023 NFL Draft, 1st round, 20th overall pick
NFL stats: 185 receptions, 2,081 receiving yards, 11 receiving TDs
The Seattle Seahawks selected Smith-Njigba 20th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. With each NFL season, he has picked up more responsibility for Seattle's receiving room.
Smith-Njigba registered his first 1,000-yard season in Year 2, catching 100 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He picked up right where he left off to begin his third NFL season.
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 2024 NFL Draft, 1st round, 4th overall pick
NFL stats: 72 receptions, 1,027 receiving yards, 9 receiving TDs
Harrison quickly rose to prominence during his time at Ohio State and, as a result, was selected fourth by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Harrison caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns in Arizona.
Emeka Egbuka: 2025 NFL Draft, 1st round, 19th overall pick
NFL stats: 14 receptions, 181 yards, 3 receiving TDs
Egbuka is the youngest of the group, but he wasted very little time making his mark in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 19th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft had a debut to remember, hauling in two touchdowns during Week 1, the second of which was a game-winner.
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