Five Ohio State players were named Walter Camp preseason All-Americans when the list was released on Monday, the most of any team in the country, ahead of Alabama and Notre Dame who both had four players and Georgia and Michigan with three.
Those Buckeyes are senior defensive lineman Tyleik Williams (first-team), senior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (second-team), junior running back Quinshon Judkins (second-team), sophomore safety Caleb Downs (second-team) and senior cornerback Denzel Burke (second-team).
Williams was a second team selection as an All-American by Walter Camp last season, coming off of a season in which he broke out with 53 tackles, 10 for a loss and five pass breakups.
Egbuka is coming off of a season in which he was the No. 2 receiver for the Buckeyes behind Marvin Harrison Jr., catching 41 passes for 515 yards and four touchdowns despite missing three games. The season before he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with 74 catches and 1,151 yards for 10 touchdowns.
Egbuka needs 78 receptions this season to break K.J. Hill’s (2016-19) career record as a Buckeye of 201 catches, and 1,041 receiving yards to break the career mark of 2,898 set by Michael Jenkins (2000-03).
Judkins is in his first season with the Buckeyes, but had an impressive first two years at Ole Miss, totaling 2,725 yards rushed for 31 touchdowns in 26 games with the Rebels. He joins TreVeyon Henderson in the backfield to form what could be the nation’s strongest 1-2 punch. The two combine for 5,470 career rushing yards and 81 touchdowns scored.
Downs spent his freshman season with Alabama and was named the Freshman of the Year. He finished the year with 107 tackles, which led the Crimson Tide, 3½ for a loss, two interceptions, five passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Burke had a strong 2023 season with 24 tackles, three for a loss, nine passes broken up, a forced fumble and an interception. He has started in all 35 games he has played in the last three seasons, threatening to surpass William White’s 46 starts from 1984-87. He is also climbing up the record books in passes broken up with 27 in his career, just nine away from tying Bradley Roby’s mark of 36 he set from 2011-13.
