“I’m super confident,” C.J. Stroud said Wednesday. “They all do a good job. I think even if the beginning of the season if they were needed, they would play well, so this time they just have to step up and play really well. I know they’re confident to do it. It’s just my job to help give them balls to catch and give them opportunities to make plays.”
Fleming, Egbuka and Harrison all have the recruiting pedigree to suggest they will make an impact at this level.
Fleming and Egbuka were the top-rated receivers in the class of 2020 and ‘21, respectively, while Harrison is the son of a Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver.
What remains to be seen is if they are ready for prime time.
“From a confidence standpoint in an arena, it’s one thing to do it in practice,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. “Marvin has practiced as well as any receiver we’ve had for about two months now. It’s been ridiculous how well he’s practiced. Now take that to the game. We have an opportunity in critical moments to take it to the game field, critical third downs. Critical scores on situations. Normal down one-on-one plays.”
He hopes to see a strong Rose Bowl performance lead into a big season to come.
“So to have that opportunity this year as opposed to next year probably gives you a little bit more self-assuredness or maybe also shows you where you’re still lacking,” Wilson said. “Sometimes even in practice, as good as it looks, you can still be a little bit off. So to go through some of those growing pains, even though it’s a huge game and a must-win game, it’s still going to be a great opportunity for those teams as we springboard into 2022 as well.”
Position change could bolster Buckeyes’ defense against physical Utes https://t.co/n5jnjkwBCZ
— Marcus Hartman (@marcushartman) December 29, 2021
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was the No. 3 receiver all season but is now The Man in the receiving room, said that is a goal the players share.
“Yeah, that’s definitely how we’re looking at it — just a snowball into next season,” Smith-Njigba said. “You’ll get to see what you’ll see into next season.
“I’m excited to see Marvin Harrison, Jr., do his thing, Emeka Egbuka do his thing, and Julian Fleming will be out there, too. So I’m excited to play with those guys.”
He also offered a scouting report for the three.
“Julian is real physical, very fast, very athletic, of course,” Smith-Njigba said. “To make plays, very strong. Marvin Harrison, he’s got great feet. He’s a great route runner, great hands. He’s got some size on him. Yeah, those are two good players.
“Emeka, he’s just very explosive, kind of a little bit like myself. Great routes, great hands. It’s going to be fun.”
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