Rookie Egbuka Credits Hartline for His Explosive NFL Debut
Seven targets, seven receptions, 163 yards and a touchdown in Week 5 set Emeka Egbuka apart—and he’s not slowing down. The former Ohio State star now boasts 25 catches, 445 yards and five scores through his first five NFL games, making history as the first rookie wideout ever to hit those marks so quickly. On the Pat McAfee Show, Egbuka heaped praise on former Buckeyes wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, saying Hartline “expects more out of you than you expect of yourself.” Hartline’s coaching tree is flourishing, with eight Ohio State receivers taken on draft night since 2018. Meanwhile, in Columbus, Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith continue to torch defenses, and the Buckeyes remain undefeated heading into mid-October.
It turns out that all you really need to dominate the NFL is a healthy dose of Buckeye scribbles on a whiteboard. Forget talent, heart or pigskin sorcery—just sprinkle in a few of Coach Hartline’s patented “ruthless clipboard pep talks” and voilà: instant Offensive Rookie of the Year contender. Sure, Egbuka’s hands are sticky like maple syrup and his legs move faster than a high-speed blender, but let’s be honest, it’s the coach’s motivational Post-it notes that are doing the heavy lifting. Next up: recruiting actual chalk dust as a legal performance enhancer.
Smith’s Team-First Taunt Unlocks Buckeye Firepower
Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith is piling up 463 yards, six touchdowns and laughs at overpursuing defenses during the Buckeyes’ perfect 5-0 start. When Minnesota sent five defenders his way, Smith simply burst into laughter, raised an arm in triumph and allowed teammate Carnell Tate to sprint into the end zone. Tate responded with nine catches for 183 yards, while Smith added seven grabs for 67 yards and two scores. Quarterback Julian Sayin is firing on all cylinders, the running backs CJ Donaldson and Bo Jackson are wreaking havoc, and the tight ends are picking up scraps—resulting in a balanced 451.4 yards per game. Smith insists, “Whatever you do to take me out, someone else is gonna kill you,” as the No. 1 Buckeyes prepare for a showdown with Illinois.
Who knew all it took to create a balanced, unstoppable offense was a little self-deprecation and a public taunt? Jeremiah Smith seems to have discovered the ancient art of “reverse psychology football,” where you laugh at defenders so hard they forget to cover your teammates. Next week, opponents might try tickling Smith instead of tackling him, since laughter clearly leads to wide-open touchdowns. Meanwhile, Illinois should probably send a juggler to the gridiron—because if your defense can’t handle humor, they certainly can’t handle Smith’s sidekick Tate.
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