Emeka Egbuka’s ankle surgery was necessary for his recovery from injury, which was previously undisclosed. The Ohio State receiver disclosed this to reporters in Arlington before the Cotton Bowl Classic Kickoff.

He had “tightrope surgery,” or surgery on his left ankle, following an injury he sustained in a game against Maryland in October. Egbuka missed three games during the regular season, including Ohio Stadium’s 20-12 victory over No. 10 Penn State.

An rising number of high ankle sprains are intended to be treated with the operation. To expedite the procedure, a device is affixed to the tibia and lower fibula bones.

This season, Egbuka is not the only well-known player to have tightrope surgery. After suffering an ankle injury against Vanderbilt, Georgia tight end and two-time John Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers underwent the same treatment this autumn.

Although Egbuka was expected to be one of the best pass-catchers in the country, he did not do as well against Marvin Harrison Jr. The six-foot receiver caught 35 catches for 452 yards and four scores in nine games.

With 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, Egbuka was arguably the best No. 2 receiver in the country. Egubuka may play his senior year in Columbus if he is granted one more year of eligibility, with the goal of returning to the national championship with the Buckeyes for the first time since 2020.

Prior to Friday’s game in Arlington, Harrison, a two-time consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award winner, had not rehearsed. The 6-4 junior has not yet made an official statement, but it seems likely that he will choose to forego participating in the bowl game in order to focus on getting ready for the NFL draft.