Ohio State’s reputation as “Wide Receiver U” just got another massive boost.
Over the last two NFL offseasons, four former Buckeyes receivers have landed contract extensions totaling $527.6 million, a staggering number that keeps the program’s receiver pipeline front and center. The latest deal to push that figure over the top came from Saints star Chris Olave, according to Adam Schefter.
The group behind that total is loaded with familiar names: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Olave, Garrett Wilson and Terry McLaurin. Each has turned into a No. 1-caliber NFL receiver, and each has cashed in with the kind of contracts usually reserved for the league’s biggest stars.
For Ryan Day and Ohio State, that kind of money matters well beyond the pros. It’s another recruiting pitch, another proof point that the Buckeyes keep turning elite college wideouts into NFL earners.
That track record didn’t happen overnight. Ohio State has spent the last two decades producing receivers ready for the next level, but the recent stretch has taken things to another tier. The pipeline looks as strong as ever, too.
Jeremiah Smith is already being talked about as one of the best players in college football and is projected by many to go in the top two of the 2027 NFL Draft. If he meets those expectations, he could be the next Buckeye receiver to land a monster second contract. Carnell Tate was also drafted to the Tennessee Titans in the first round.
That’s the bar in Columbus: arrive as an elite receiver, become a first-round pick, then get paid again at the next level. Very few programs can claim that kind of sustained success at one position.
And with Ohio State preparing for another national championship run in 2026, recruits around the country are watching the numbers pile up. More than half a billion dollars in receiver contracts over the last two offseasons says plenty on its own.
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