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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.
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.
“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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No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.
Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.
Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.
Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.
Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.
Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Up next
Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.
Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.
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Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, $4.25 million in rebate settlement
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards.
According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising.
The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers the impression that they were getting an immediate discount while shopping through its advertising, when in fact, savings actually came in the form of a rebate or in-store credit.
The investigation raised concerns with Menards’ marketing strategy and sales practices, alleging the following of the company:
- Advertised 11% off or 11% off everything that suggested an instant price cut, even though customers received only a rebate on future purchases.
- Listed prices already at an 11% discount, reinforcing the idea that shoppers were getting an in-store discount.
- Failed to clearly explain the important limits of the rebate program, burying key details in the fine print.
- Tell customers that Rebates International was a separate company handling rebates, even though it is operated by Menards itself.
The settlement, announced Thursday, included an agreement by Menards that it would, in part, discontinue ads suggesting immediate discounts, clearly explaining the rules, limits, and conditions of its rebate program, and offer customers an easier path towards claiming rebates, both in person and online, among other changes.
In addition, Menards will pay participating states $4.25 million in fees, of which $365,173.05 will go toward the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Enforcement Fund.
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Ohio State dominate latest power ranking as nine Buckeyes rank inside Top 50 players
The honors continue to roll in for this Ohio State Buckeyes football team.
From young players ready for another College Football Playoff run next season to players hungry for one more run starting December 31 before the NFL Draft, this Ohio State Buckeyes team is loaded with talent headed into their seventh playoffs appearance since the CFP era began in 2014.
Five defensive players and four offensive players headlined a class of extremely talented Buckeyes. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took the No. 1 spot to go along with his Heisman and Maxwell honors.
An offensive Ohio State Buckeye took the No. 2 spot right behind Mendoza.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith takes the No. 2 spot
Jeremiah Smith was ranked behind Mendoza along with his gun-slinging sophomore quarterback. Julian Sayin was the second-highest ranked quarterback on the list at No. 5.
“Smith caught 80 balls for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, but that doesn’t really tell the story…Smith commands double-teams constantly, draws the attention of everyone’s best corner, and has every defensive coordinator he faces scheming to slow him down. And none of it has mattered.”
ESPN’s David Hale
Smith is expected to have one more dominant season with the Buckeyes next season where fans hope to see him paired next to five-star recruit Chris Henry Jr. Senior wide receiver Carnell Tate has been an impressive receiving mate for Smith the past two seasons. Tate caught 48 passes, nine touchdowns, and had 838 yards. He ranked No. 26 in the rankings.
Offensive tackle Austin Siereveld ranked No. 44 as well.
The defense takes over
All five of Ohio State’s defensive players on the list ranked inside the top-22. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles sat at No. 21 to kick things off for the defense. The Buckeyes have had the best defense in college football for the entire season and these are the names that have made it happen. Projected first round NFL Draft Arvell Reese took the No. 16 spot.
“A new set of stars emerged to lead the nation’s No. 1 defense this fall, and Reese was undeniably front and center. He has thrived under new coordinator Matt Patricia, recording 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss from the edge position and finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles…Reese was named Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year and recorded a sack in six of Ohio State’s first eight games of the season.”
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg
Defensive linemen Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry ranked at No. 13 and No. 11 respectively. Safety Caleb Downs was the highest ranked defensive Buckeye at No. 7. Downs is a simply a lockdown player who can play corner or safety while still being able to tackle at a high level. If he chooses to declare for the NFL Draft after the season is over, he’ll be slated to go within the top 10 in most mock drafts.
Opposing quarterbacks only targeted downs 20 times for the entire season. Only nine passes were caught on his watch as the primary defender.
“The longest completion he gave up was 17 yards. A 14-yard completion in the second quarter of the Big Ten title game was the first one he’d given up in nearly two months. There is not a more lockdown corner in the country than Downs.”
ESPN’s David Hale
The Ohio State Buckeyes are waiting for the winner of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoffs this Saturday at 12:00pm Eastern on ABC/ESPN.
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