Former Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL prove that not only are they WRU, but they are more than that.
The argument for which school is Wide Receiver U is hardly an argument anymore. It's Ohio State, and then it is the field because year after year, the Buckeyes in the NFL put together the most productive seasons.
Whether it is the veteran guys or the young pups, former Buckeyes make plays every single weekend, and the 2025 season was no different.
However, this year was headlined by more than just the Ohio State wide receivers. Ohio State also had the most productive defensive line players in the NFL, and the story is also much deeper.
They had the 10th-best quarterback alumni, the 3rd-best running backs, the most starts by offensive linemen, and the 10th-best defensive backs. These rankings are not just arbitrary; they are created by an X account, "DeegSports," and his criteria can be read below.
Regardless of whether you agree or not with the rankings or the account, what is true is that they evaluate each player according to the same criteria and are compared apples to apples.
Some positions are easier than others to evaluate; one of those is wide receiver. The former Buckeyes in the National Football League are so good. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the best wide receiver in the NFL, and the collection of Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egbuka, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., and even Terry McLaurin, who has become the wily vet.
Each one of those guys can go off on any given Sunday, and while they may not possess the flash that Justin Jefferson or Ja'Marr Chase have, they produce week after week, year after year.
The defensive line stats were a bit of a surprise to start, but then made a ton of sense after about 30 seconds of thought. He does a good job of explaining the limitations that his rankings naturally have, such as the distinction between DEs, EDGEs, and OLBs muddy the water and the statistics a little bit.
With all that said, Ohio State combined for 33 sacks, 56 tackles for loss, 370 total tackles, 12 forced fumbles, and 22 passes deflected. Some of the big names are Joey Bosa, Cam Heyward, Chase Young (who had a quiet career year), and the youngsters like Jack Sawyer and Tyliek Williams.
Ohio State pumps out elite talent year after year, and they continue to prove that they aren't just Wide Receiver U; they are a legitimate football factory.
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