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Ohio State Star Playmaker Speaks on How NIL Impacted NFL Draft Decision

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2 years ago

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Ohio State Star Playmaker Speaks on How NIL Impacted NFL Draft Decision


The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a lot of success when it comes to the football program using their NIL collective. One of the players who has benefitted from it the most is wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

Egbkua burst onto the scene as a sophomore, catching 74 passes for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns as one of C.J. Stroud’s top targets. Had he been allowed to declare for the NFL draft that year, he could have been a high pick.

Alas, he had to wait at least one more season to turn pro. Unfortunately, he was unable to get close to replicating his production as a junior that he did as a sophomore.

In an injury-plagued campaign, Egbuka caught 41 passes for 515 yards and four touchdowns. Had he declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, evaluators believe he would have been selected somewhere in the first three rounds.

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However, there is unfinished business for him and the team. He has lost to Michigan every season at Ohio State and that is something that motivated him to come back to school.

“It just so happened that we all came together and we were all thinking the same thing,” Egbuka said this week at Big Ten media days. “That was really special to be a part of, to know that I wasn’t alone and what I was feeling.”

Another thing that helped with the decision to come back for his senior season is NIL money. Not only does he have one last chance to beat Michigan, but Egbuka is making a nice chunk of change to do so.

The Ohio State star has NIL deals with Amazon Style, EA Sports and Casey’s. Along with The Foundation and The 1870 Society, which are NIL collectives at the school, Egbuka is earning $751,000, which lands in the top 25 of college football.

Earning that kind of money was enough of a reason for him to return to Columbus for a fourth season.

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“I came in my freshman year, and it was kind of implemented early on,” he said. “For some of the other guys that came in and they started college right with NIL, it’s just allowed us to make money, which I don’t think is a bad thing. It had some implications as to why some of the guys decided to come back for their senior year because the NFL is always going to be there. That money is always going to be there. We’re able to make a little bit of an earning while we’re here in college, so I think it’s a bonus.”

Earning that kind of money before turning pro certainly makes it an easier decision to return to school. Especially for a player like Egbuka, who has a chance to improve his draft stock considerably during the 2024 season.



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Ohio

Ohio’s 2nd largest pension is seeing major changes after violations by 2 board members

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10 hours ago

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February 20, 2026

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Ohio’s 2nd largest pension is seeing major changes after violations by 2 board members


CINCINNATI (WKRC) – A judge’s ruling is set to reshape the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio after finding that two board members violated their fiduciary duty to the fund.

The decision announced on Thursday stems from an investigation by the Ohio attorney general two years ago. The ruling centers on board members Rudy Fichtenbaum and Wade Steen, who were apparently trying to restore cost-of-living increases but, in doing so, pursued a plan the fund’s staff had already rejected.

A judge’s ruling is set to reshape the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio after finding that two board members violated their fiduciary duty to the fund. (WKRC, Provided)

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The judge found the two were acting as agents of QED, a startup that proposed managing $65 billion—more than two-thirds of the pension fund. The effort did not persuade fellow board members, but once it came to light, state lawmakers moved to reduce the number of educators on the board.

“The fund has since then grown. The state found issue with two of the board members and took it to court. The court made its decision. Through all of this, the system continued to perform well, and the board continued to perform the functions of a board,” said Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper.

State Rep. Adam Bird, a former superintendent in New Richmond and one of the lawmakers involved in altering the board, said the ruling supports the need for the change.

“I am confident that the judicial system will ultimately rule in our favor. I appreciate that they’ve got a job to do and they’ve got to go through their due process—and I’m not going to argue with that—but I do think that ultimately, the state legislature’s bill that passed back in June will ultimately prevail,” Bird said.

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Cropper said she disagrees with using the ruling as an example to justify changing the board’s makeup.

“I think that is wrong to use this as an example, because if anything, this proves when board members need to be removed, there’s a mechanism for removing them, whether they’re appointed or elected, and this composition of the board has been this way since its inception,” Cropper said.

The change to the board’s setup is frozen pending more litigation, as teachers unions back a lawsuit challenging it.

As for the two board members, Chairman Fichtenbaum will be removed, and Steen is barred from ever rejoining the board.

STRS says it manages more than $100 billion for more than 500,000 educators. Almost 7,000 Hamilton County retirees are receiving benefits.

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LIST: 6 Columbus-area hotels rank among Ohio’s best, including No. 1

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22 hours ago

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February 19, 2026

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LIST: 6 Columbus-area hotels rank among Ohio’s best, including No. 1


COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Columbus properties dominate a new list out highlighting the best hotels in Ohio.

A Columbus hotel took the top spot in the rankings from US News & World Report, and a total of six area properties were included in the top 15, more than Cleveland (four) and Cincinnati (three).

Take a look at the list below:

  1. Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph
  2. Inn Walden (Aurora, near Cleveland)
  3. The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland
  4. The Lytle Park Hotel, Autograph Collection (Cincinnati)
  5. The Hancock Hotel (Findlay)
  6. The Summit Hotel (Cincinnati)
  7. Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection (Columbus)
  8. The Junto (Columbus)
  9. Hotel Versailles (Versailles)
  10. Hilton Columbus Downtown
  11. Intercontinental Hotels Cleveland by IHG
  12. Hilton Columbus at Easton
  13. Hilton Columbus/Polaris
  14. Metropolitan at The 9 Autograph Collection (Cleveland)
  15. 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati
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ExperienceColumbus.com has a list of several new hotels being built or planned around the city.



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Suspect in Moore County double homicide arrested in Ohio returns to NC

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1 day ago

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February 18, 2026

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Suspect in Moore County double homicide arrested in Ohio returns to NC


The man accused of killing two
people on Valentine’s Day returned to Moore County on Wednesday after fleeing to Ohio to face charges.

Caleb Fosnaugh, 25, was arrested
after he was accused of shooting and killing 21-year-old Kateryna Tovmash and
28-year-old Matthew Wade at a home in Vass on Saturday. Deputies said he left the area before law enforcement arrived at the home on Saturday.

Deputies said Fosnaugh waived
extradition in the double homicide investigation. He now faces several charges, including felony breaking and entering and two counts of murder.

Fosnaugh is being held in the
Moore County Detention Center without bond. He is expected to appear in court
on Thursday, Feb. 19.

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