Brian Hartline recruited and developed high-level receivers during his time at Ohio State. But great receivers became Buckeyes before him and NFL draft picks will continue to come.
By Marcus Hartman for Press Pros
Columbus, OH — Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Ohio State needs a new offensive coordinator next season.
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For the fourth time in as many years, the 2026 Buckeyes will have a different person calling the plays than they did the previous season.
That much became certain when the University of South Florida announced Wednesday it has hired Brian Hartline to be its next head football coach.
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Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Hartline plans to remain with the Buckeyes through their time in the College Football Playoff then head off to the Sunshine State to run his own program for the first time.
While Day seemed a little incredulous about the news breaking on the morning of National Signing Day, he acknowledged this is the way of the world now.
“The timing isn’t great, but that’s not Brian’s fault,” Day said. “That’s other people’s fault, and hopefully we can get some of this stuff addressed, but it’s like that for everybody in the country.
“As a head coach, it’s gratifying to see one of your assistants get one of these opportunities, and I think he’s going to do great. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. I’m looking forward to see how he does, so that’s exciting for him.”
Exciting was not the word Ohio State fans were using on social media upon word leaking Hartline was leaving.
More like 100 variations on “fear” or “panic.”
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An Ohio State receiver himself from 2005-2008 who caught 90 passes for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns, Hartline has been a key cog in the Ohio State football machine since 2018.
After seven years in the NFL, including six with the Miami Dolphins, Hartline turned out to be a strong teacher and mentor for young receivers but more importantly an ace recruiter.
Hartline signed five-star prospect Garrett Wilson out of Texas and Jameson Williams of Cardinal Ritter College Prep for the class of 2019 and never looked back.
Five-star prospects Julian Fleming of Pennsylvania and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were part of Hartline’s second recruiting class. Emeka Egbuka of Washington state and Marvin Harrison Jr. of Philadelphia came a year later.
Five-star prospect Carnell Tate and four-star Brandon Inniss — who both attended high school in South Florida — signed up in 2023. Jeremiah Smith — also of South Florida — came in last year and was a freshman sensation.
Egbuka, Harrison, Smith-Njigba and Wilson were all taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, as was Chris Olave, who signed before Hartline took over as receivers coach and developed from a three-star to Big Ten star.
So now what?
“Instead of being upset about it, we’re going to embrace it,” Day said Wednesday in a previously scheduled media availability to discuss the 2026 recruiting class. “The plan is for him to continue to be with the team, which is a challenge for him, but that speaks to his character that he wants to make sure he finishes this thing out the right way.”
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There is no good time for coaching changes these days because of the increased freedom of movement for players. Signing Day in particular presents problems because it is supposed to be when players finalize their college decisions.
Instead, Ohio State lost verbal commitment Kayden Dixon-Wyatt to USC and Legend Bey to Tennessee while Chris Henry Jr. and Jerquaden Guilford opted not to sign their letters of intent while they mulled their options. That is until they both signed later in the week to the relief of many.
Ohio State’s class stands at 27 members and is ranked sixth in the nation according to 247Sports.com Composite rankings.
Henry — the son of the late Bengals receiver Chris Henry Sr. — is considered the No. 1 receiver in the country and the No. 1 prospect in California. He committed to Ohio State in July of 2023, and Hartline’s track record was cited as the No. 1 reason.
Losing him would have been painful, but Ohio State has already signed three-star prospects Brock Boyd of Southlake (Texas) Carroll and Jaeden Ricketts of Watkins Memorial in Pataskala so the cupboard wasn’t bare.
While Tate is considered a strong candidate to enter the NFL Draft after enjoying a breakout season this fall, Smith won’t be eligible to go pro until 2027. Of course, he like anyone on the roster could enter the transfer portal in January, but overall there is no reason to think Ohio State’s great run at receiver is over.
Hartline took it to another level, but the school has had a strong case to be considered “Wide Receiver U” since the late 1990s when John Cooper recruits Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn and David Boston were drafted in the first round.
So were Santonio Holmes, Michael Jenkins, Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez for Jim Tressel in the ’00s. While no receivers were taken in the first round during the Urban Meyer Era (2012-18), Meyer did produce second-rounders Parris Campbell Jr., Curtis Samuel, Michael Thomas and Devin Smith.
(And of course before them were such big names as Jeff Graham and Cris Carter in the 80s and even Paul Warfield all the way back to ‘60s, though he was a halfback for the Buckeyes).
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Ohio State had eight receivers picked in the NFL Draft in the 1990s, 10 in the 2000s, nine in the 2010s and six so far this decade.
The point is, Darrell Hazell produced NFL receivers at Ohio State during Tressel’s time. So did Chuck Stobart for Cooper.
The “Ohio State Offense” is still Ryan Day’s, and the quarterback factory appears to be back in working order with Julian Sayin’s ascension this season.
This week the Buckeyes are coming off a game where the elite receivers proved their value — Tate and Smith both caught long touchdown passes in the win over Michigan — but Ohio State also spent the last couple of seasons redefining their identity with more power sets and run scheme variety.
That effort paid off Saturday, too.
While the receivers were still a cheat code, Day (unlike the Bengals) is willing to try to win more than one way.
“Coach Meyer and Coach Tressel said this to me when I took the job: ‘This job is bigger than any one person,’” Day said. “And so Ohio State’s been good for a long time, and we’ll continue to be good moving forward. So while there always will be these situations — for whatever reason, good or bad, we all aim for them to be good — that when we’re doing well, people have opportunities.
“And that’s part of it, and I think these recruits understand that. So when they come in their relationships matter, but they also want to see the stability of a program that when they send their sons somewhere, they’re going to be surrounded with the best.”
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