A standout player for the Ohio State Buckeyes, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka entered the league with some very high expectations on his shoulders. In his first few weeks as a rookie WR for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it looked like he was meeting them. But the talented WR could never reach his ceiling, thanks to a pulled hamstring later in the season.

Egbuka looked back on his rookie struggles at the recent presser after the recently concluded minicamp.

“I feel like I got my legs back a little bit,” he told the press. “Last year, coming off the national championship and doing the whole rookie thing, the combine and everything like that, it’s definitely a long offseason and you feel like you never got a break.”

There was serious hype for Egbuka when he was drafted by the Buccaneers. In 2024, Egbuka recorded 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns, and a CFP National Championship, and looked like the eventual successor to veteran Mike Evans. In the first five weeks of the 2025 season, the WR lived up to those expectations, having racked up 445 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in that span. Egbuka was also named the Offensive Rookie of the Month in September.

Egbuka never got the time to take things slow, as most rookies do. The Buccaneers were undefeated in the first four weeks of the season, with a lot of credit to the rookie WR, CBS noted. But the injury in the Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers changed everything.

Even though he was able to return, Egbuka never got up to the standard he’d set for himself. By Week 14, his average yards per game dropped to 45.1 from the 89.0 it was before the injury. And weirdly enough, Egbuka started to drop catches. One was a costly drop against the New Orleans Saints, after which the Bucs were not able to score a touchdown in the game.

The Buccaneers had to end their season with a tough 8-9 record, ending the competitive streak they’d built over the last few years. But Egbuka locked in during the offseason to work out his problems.

Emeka Egbuka has impressed coaches this offseason

“I think after the season, I was able to take some time off my legs and kind of work my way back into training in a good amount of time,” the WR added. “I was able to lean up, add some muscle and I feel like I’m in very good condition, very good shape.”

Reports from the OTAs present a very optimistic picture about Egbuka. During one session, the WR recorded a “mesmerizing” one-handed catch, per Bucs insider Brianna Dix.

“Egbuka has more burst off the line, sharper cuts at the top of routes, and an overall confidence that comes from feeling fully prepared physically,” Matt Matera wrote for Pewter Report. “The added muscle hasn’t slowed him down — if anything, it’s enhanced his ability to fight through contact and finish plays.”

However, there are even bigger expectations for Egbuka, now that Mike Evans is no longer in the picture. He will now have to shoulder more responsibility than before, being the next man up after Chris Godwin Jr. But now that he is looking healthy, expect Emeka Egbuka to make a bigger name for himself in the league this season.