No. 1 WR in Class of 2021 narrows college decision to four football programs
STEILACOOM, Wash. (BVM) — Coming off a junior season in which he was named the 2019-20 Gatorade Washington Football Player of the Year, the first-ever winner from Steilacoom High School, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is whittling down his list of colleges he plans to take his talents to on the gridiron.聽
On May 15, Egbuka announced via Twitter his short list of four football programs he will choose from. No two from the same conference or state, the 6-foot-1 wideout has narrowed down his decision to the Washington Huskies, Ohio State Buckeyes, Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners.
Not just a prized talent in Washington, Egbuka is ranked as the nation鈥檚 No. 1 wide receiver in the Class of 2021 and has therefore had a bevy of scholarship offers to select from. That being said, it remains to be seen which way he will go. With a National Letter of Intent far from being signed, Egbuka is surely a name to keep your eye on.聽
While Steilacoom isn鈥檛 a prep football powerhouse, Egbuka is the program鈥檚 first five-star recruit, the opportunity to transfer to a better football school has never been an option the rising senior wide receiver has considered. Staying with the Sentinels, Egbuka helped guide the team to their first-ever state championship appearance last season while racking up 1,590 yards and 25 touchdowns on 83 receptions. He鈥檒l be out to finish the job as a senior before heading off to college.
A driving force for the elite athlete鈥檚 football future is his family. Egbuka鈥檚 mother, Rhonda Ogilvie, knows just how important family is to her son in the recruiting process.
鈥淲e were going over some of the different schools and he said, 鈥極ne thing about leaving is I鈥檓 going to miss my siblings鈥� (younger brother Keanan and younger sister Eva),鈥� Ogilvie . 鈥淭hat just made me cry.
鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 want that to force his decision. We鈥檒l come to all the games we can, wherever he is. We鈥檒l figure it out. We鈥檒l set up FaceTimes, we鈥檒l fly him back. Whatever. He shouldn鈥檛 stay here for that reason alone. But he told me if that鈥檚 the case, then he wants to go somewhere that feels like family.鈥�
If being close to home is the largest factor, then the hour drive from Steilacoom to Seattle would make the University of Washington the most likely option for Egbuka鈥檚 college football career. But if playing for a program that is known for producing NFL wide receivers, then Clemson and Ohio State should be considered the two favorites.聽
Over the past decade, the Tigers have had a trio of first round picks in DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams. Hopkins is a three-time All-Pro. While the Buckeyes haven鈥檛 had any first round picks in that span, their receivers have seen immediate success in the NFL with players like Michael Thomas, Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin. Thomas is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in receptions and receiving yards last season for the New Orleans Saints.聽
A multi-sport athlete, also starring in baseball, Emeka Egbuka will have his top four colleges and their fan bases on the edge of their seats until he makes his commitment. But for now, the 6-foot-1 student-athlete will be ready to enjoy his final go-around with his Steilacoom classmates come fall.
海角社区鈥� Mike Cianciolo contributed to this article.
