Editor’s Note: Thursday’s Buckeye Insider column in the Examiner was already completed and sent to the printer before it was announced the Ohio State vs. Maryland game was canceled due to COVID-19.
When Brian Hartline took over as Ohio State’s full-time wide receivers coach three years ago, there was some concern that he was a little green for the position.
A former standout receiver for the Buckeyes and also for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL, Hartline joined the OSU staff in 2017 as a quality control coach. He was quickly elevated to the role of receivers coach after the firing of Zach Smith when Smith became entangled in legal issues involving his ex-wife. Although he was short on experience, both coaching and in recruiting, Urban Meyer trusted Hartline enough to give him the job. It has paid off for the Buckeyes as the play of the wide receivers has been a strength of the offense.
In 2018, Hartline’s unit broke a school single-season record for receptions with 310, touchdowns with 45 and yards with 4,429.
Last season, receiver K.J. Hill broke the school’s career receptions mark with 201 and he led a group that hauled in 48 TD catches.
Despite losing four of their top six pass catchers from last season, there has been no drop off for the Buckeyes at wideout this season.
Junior Chris Olave and sophomore Garrett Wilson have been as impressive as any wide receiver duo in the country. Through three games they have combined for 632 yards and six touchdowns.
Not only has Hartline’s receivers enjoyed success on the field, he has shown himself to be a dynamic recruiter.
He pulled in the top two wide receiver recruits in the country for the 2020 class in Julian Fleming from Pennsylvania and Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Texas. Smith-Njigba showed what he is capable of with a dazzling catch in the opener against Nebraska that made the national highlight reels. Hartline also landed the fifth-best receiver (Gee Scott Jr.) as well as the 30th-best (Mookie Cooper) in the 2020 class.
So far for the 2021 class, Hartline has secured verbal commitments from Jayden Ballard of Massillon, who is considered the fourth-best receiver in the country by 247 Sports, and Marvin Harrison Jr. of Pennsylvania, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr.
In addition, the Buckeyes are currently the favorites to land the number-one 2021 wide receiver recruit in the nation in Emeka Egbuka of Washington.
While it is still very early, the Buckeyes are also squarely in the hunt for the top receiver in the 2020 class, Caleb Burton of Texas.
So what is making recruits so attracted to Hartline and the Buckeyes? A lot of it has to do with the big numbers they are putting up in the passing game and the style of offense being employed by head coach Ryan Day.
“Coach Day completely changed the game as soon as he came in,” Fleming said in a story on Cleveland.com during his recruitment. “He changed the offense up. He’s throwing that thing everywhere while mixing it in with some run. Ohio State has a surprise aspect to them. You don’t know what they’re going to do. It keeps defenses on their toes. Being able to see what they’ve done the past few years just drew me in all the way.” Recruiting is about building relationships and Hartline and Day have done that particularly well with receiver recruits.
“I love my relationship with Coach Hartline and Coach Day, and it was Urban Meyer when I was offered the scholarship,” said Scott of why he decided to cross the country to play at Ohio State. “Even after the coaching switch, it was a smooth transition. I love the whole entire coaching staff. The way they run things is so smooth there. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. When I first visited there, I didn’t even want to leave. I wanted to stay there.” O