There are two big, big fish out there Ohio State is hoping to land to cap off a fantastic 2021 recruiting class. One of them is the No. 2 overall prospect in the class, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, out of Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, WA, and the other is another five-star prospect, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka out of Steilacoom, WA.
It’s the latter that broke down the latest with the status of his recruitment to Brandon Huffman of 247Sports.
And while no decision has been made, it appears as though Egbuka is getting closer. He originally communicated a final four of Ohio State, Oklahoma, Washington, and Clemson in May, but he now says the race is down to three schools.
“It’s more like a top three,” Egbuka told 247Sports. “Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington. I haven’t talked to Clemson in a long time, so it’s really just those three schools.”
And while most Crystal Ball picks have Egbuka as a heavy Ohio State lean, it’s not that simple because the 6-foot, 1-inch, 190-pounder really wants to make a visit to Oklahoma, the only one of the three he has yet to get to because of the recruiting dead period imposed by the NCAA.
“I kind of figured that I’d have to visit Oklahoma by my own means, since it’s the only place I haven’t been,” said Egbuka. “I figured I’d go with my dad or go with my mom and check out Norman and see what it’s about. So that hasn’t changed that aspect. My dad and I have some airline points to redeem since we had to cancel before so I’ll probably do that at some point.”
Steilacoom (Wash.) receiver Emeka Egbuka, the nation's No. 1 receiver, talks the latest in his recruitment https://t.co/fXWGwN7BBF pic.twitter.com/j20xRWZdgY
— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) November 16, 2020
Egbuka talks to the Ohio State coaches and even some players often, but he’s clear that a decision won’t be made until he can get to see what Oklahoma is all about.
“I’m pretty sure that by the time I make a decision, I’ll have taken a visit to Oklahoma,” said Egbuka. “I won’t have made a decision on any school without seeing them.”
It sounds like December is the timeframe the talented receiver is looking at, but that all depends on several factors and could lead Egbuka to wait until the traditional February signing period.
“I kind of have a timeline in my head, but nothing official,” said Egbuka. “A lot of it is based on my high school, how many games we’ll play, when we play, if we play at all. If we don’t end up playing, then I’ll look to enroll early. My plan right now is that I will sign in December, but I guess it’s possible I could wait till February. I think by that time, we’ll have most of the details on a season, if we have a season or a small amount of games.”
So for now we’ll just keep our eye on where things stand. Ohio State fans should feel pretty confident that the Buckeye program is first on the list right now, but that comes with the understanding that Oklahoma could catapult in the lead should he be blown away by any visit he makes to Norman.
Also: 2021 recruiting commitment tracker
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