As the Ohio State Buckeyes head to West Lafayette for a showdown with the Purdue Boilermakers, they’ll be without one of their top wide receivers.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg tweeted Friday night that Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka did not travel to West Lafayette with the team and will miss Saturday’s game.
Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka did not travel and will miss Saturday’s game at Purdue.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) October 13, 2023
Egbuka left Ohio State’s Week 5 win over Maryland early in the fourth quarter with what is being called a “lower-body injury.” He appeared to be having trouble putting weight on his leg as he was helped off the field.
Earlier this week, Buckeyes’ head coach Ryan Day downplayed the injury, saying “One thing I can tell you is that it’s not going to be a long-term issue,” during Tuesday’s media availability.
Egbuka broke out in the 2022 season, his first season as a starter. He hauled in 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team following the season.
So far this season, Egbuka has picked up right where he left off, grabbing 22 receptions for 303 yards, joining Marvin Harrison Jr. and Cade Stover as the three Ohio State receivers to have over 300 yards on the season, the most of any Big Ten team.
With Penn State looming next week for the Buckeyes, they certainly would like to get Egbuka back as soon as possible.
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