Legendary OSU WR Reacts to Alum Emeka Egbuka’s Stellar Buccaneers Debut, Ending in Last-Minute TD

The NFL is underway, and as always, the first checkpoint is how quickly the rookie class settles into real snaps with real stakes, especially for those stepping straight into starting roles in Week 1. Tennessee made it official with No. 1 pick Cam Ward taking the huddle for his debut, a clear vote of trust from the Titans’ staff. In Atlanta, head coach Raheem Morris confirmed two first-year starters on defense, Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman, showing how coaches are ready to lean on rookies right away. 

But amid that scrutiny, Emeka Egbuka’s first NFL game stood among the weekend’s cleanest statements, delivering two touchdowns and 67 yards on four catches as Tampa Bay edged Atlanta 23–20 on the road. The Buccaneers listed the first-rounder to open the season in a significant role, and he responded with scoring plays of 30 and 25 yards off six targets, turning opportunity into points with veteran timing. Stack it against any rookie performance from opening weekend, and Egbuka belongs near the top of the conversation for immediate impact after just one Sunday.

That’s why Marvin Harrison Jr.’s nod felt so on the nose. He posted on X, “Big Mek, I see you 2!!” A peer’s quick salute from someone who knows exactly what an arrival looks like at this level. The performance backs up the shout. Emeka Egbuka’s line, 4 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TDs, anchors a winning box score that travels well in any meeting room on Monday, particularly when the scores came in leverage moments. It’s also a neat continuation of the Ohio State assembly line, with another wideout translating Saturday polish into Sunday production right out of the gate, something Buckeye followers have watched for years.

Big Mek, I see you 2!!

— Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) September 7, 2025

The moment that sealed it was late and loud. Baker Mayfield found Egbuka on a 25‑yard post with 0:59 remaining, and after Younghoe Koo’s 44‑yard try sailed wide, the rookie’s second TD stood as the winner in a division tilt. Egbuka became just the second player since the 1970 merger to record a go‑ahead TD catch in the final minute or overtime of his first NFL game, joining Ernest Wilford’s 2004 debut, a rarity that explains why this one popped off the screen even on a busy Sunday. 

All signs point to staying power because the resume fits the moment. At Ohio State, Egbuka thrived in a loaded room where he often worked as a second or third option behind elite talents like Marvin Harrison Jr. and later five‑star newcomer Jeremiah Smith, sharpening a toolkit that doesn’t need training wheels in the pros. Tampa Bay has already backed that profile with a starting role and real trust, and internal reviews after Week 1 echoed how quickly he earned it in camp and the opener. If this is the tone he’s setting in September, the arc points to a season where composure, timing, and finishing become the weekly throughline, not a one-off debut story.

Buckeye wideouts run the day

From the early window to the nightcap, Ohio State receivers turned Sundays into a scarlet showcase, piling up production across the map with the kind of efficiency that tilts games and timelines alike. Jaxon Smith-Njigba set the tone with 9 catches for 124 yards, Garrett Wilson added 7 for 95 and a touchdown, and Chris Olave kept chains moving with 7 for 54, a trio that made tough coverages look routine. The finishing touches came through Marvin Harrison Jr., who cashed in 5 receptions for 71 yards and a score, and Emeka Egbuka, who made the most of 4 catches, stacking 67 yards and 2 touchdowns when the moments mattered.

What stands out is how complementary it all felt, the room’s trademarks showing up in different jerseys, same results. Smith-Njigba worked as the metronome, Wilson blended craft with burst, Olave found pockets that others miss, Harrison Jr. brought precision to the red zone, and Egbuka added the exclamation with two strikes that flipped a game. It read like a familiar script, Buckeyes winning on timing, leverage, and detail, then letting their quarterbacks trust them in spots where trust is everything.

And yes, that quick nod from one star to another landed for a reason, because this was the full picture of why the pipeline never really slows down; it just changes uniforms. Harrison Jr. found the paint, Egbuka finished late, the veterans filled up the middle of the field, and together it looked like a standard being met, not a surprise being sprung. If this is how September opens, it is easy to see how the rhythm will carry, the baton passing seamlessly from Columbus to Sundays, week after week.

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