The choice to enter the NFL Draft by an Ohio State receiver was…

Emeka Egbuka is still looking for an answer to his 2024 intentions, but the Ohio State football receiver has already found his point of view.

He is aware that he was regarded a possible first-round NFL Draft pick prior to the season after averaging 74 receptions, 1,151 yards, and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He is aware that his excellence has not been as consistent over the last four months, following a mid-season ankle injury that threw him off track.

As a result, the end of the regular season presented him with a more difficult decision than he had anticipated. Nonetheless, at a time when an athlete may be filled with uncertainty, Egbuka spoke last week with strong conviction about his faith.

“It’s unfortunate, to say the least,” Egbuka said of his injury, which forced him to miss three games. “But, in the end, I put my trust in something greater than myself, and that is Jesus Christ.” I believe his plan is sovereign and flawless. And his will is always going to be fulfilled.

“So my injury was predestined — something I’ll be able to see the reason for later.” And I believe that the lessons learned from adversity are not always immediately apparent. But once you acknowledge them, you realize how fortunate you were.”

Prior to the season, Egbuka’s 2024 strategy appeared to be rather easy. He could move on to the NFL after another strong season as the slot receiver backup to Marvin Harrison Jr. Before he departed Stellacoom, Wash., as the nation’s No. 1 receiving recruit in the 2021 class, many projected that schedule.

Then, as with Jaxon Smith-Njigba a year before, an injury derailed his aspirations.

Egbuka landed awkwardly on the sideline while making a reception early in the fourth quarter of the season’s fifth game against Maryland. He attempted to hobble across the field but was unable to do so and eventually collapsed on the turf. He didn’t play again for another month. It took some time for him to approximate his sophomore form after he returned.

Last Tuesday, Egbuka called himself “totally undecided” on his future — beyond confirming he will play in the Cotton Bowl. Even his presence on the field against Missouri in Dallas represents a deviation from expectation.

Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave passed on playing in a non-playoff Rose Bowl after receiving first-round grades after the 2021 season. Olave worked out with the squad during bowl season and traveled to Pasadena, but he did not play.

Instead of his play effectively deciding the decision for him, as it did for Wilson, Olave, and most likely Harrison, Egbuka must assess his options.

“There are a lot of variables,” Egbuka explained. “As far as the decisions I’m making, that’s something I’ve just been working through with my corner, my family, and all that type of stuff.” Things I don’t necessarily want to discuss right now.

“There are advantages on both sides. There are drawbacks on both sides.”

Smith-Njigba’s injuries cost him far more. Following his hamstring injury on opening night, he appeared in only two more games, neither at full vigor. Nonetheless, it did not cost him a draft pick. He impressed at the NFL Draft Combine and was selected No. 20 overall by the Seattle Seahawks.

That path may make sense for Egbuka, who has until late February to recover from his injury before the combine. Perhaps the Cotton Bowl, with Harrison also not committed to participate, will provide Egbuka with a display that will remind folks of those preseason evaluations. Several mock drafts rank Egbuka as one of the top five receiver prospects in his draft, with him being selected at the end of the first round.

However, he may return as the older statesman in the OSU receiving room, demonstrate his versatility by spending more time outside of the slot, and re-establish his first-round momentum. Surprisingly, Olave did it after the 2020 season. He did not need to make any physical or fundamental changes in order to be drafted. He needed them to have the kind of success he’s had with the Saints in his first two seasons.

Which category does Egbuka belong in? He may show us, more than tell us, in Dallas on Dec. 29.