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Ohio State Football: Brian Hartline keeps raising the bar

By Charlie Lockhart

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 22: K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes catches a pass for a first down in the second quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Ohio Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 22: K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes catches a pass for a first down in the second quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Ohio Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Ryan Day looks on during the second half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Ryan Day looks on during the second half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

What Brian Hartline has accomplished so far as the Ohio State receivers coach it is hard to believe it’s still his first year on the job.

Last August after Brian Hartline was named the Ohio State receivers coach I wrote he was the “Right guy at the right time”. You don’t catch passes in the NFL for seven years without learning a few tricks along the way and I was sure he would share those techniques to his talented receivers.

And boy did he, five of his top six receivers improved their stats in multiple categories, and Austin Mack would have also but he suffered an injury toward the end of the season. High school receivers took notice and now coach Hartline is blowing things up on the recruiting trail.

The small 2019 Ohio State recruiting class included two outstanding receivers and next year’s class has four more top 100 players. Here is a look at the new receivers coach Hartline will get to work with this year and next with position and overall rankings according to the 247Sports Composite.

2019 class:

  • Garrett Wilson:  No. 2 WR, No. 20 overall
  • Jameson Williams:  No. 13, 82

Wilson impressed coaches and players alike as an early enrollee and made a terrific catch in the Ohio State Spring Game. Expect him to make an impact as a true freshman.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Williams saw the field like 2018 WR recruit Chris Olave did last season.

Now, the receivers in the 2020 recruiting class are simply amazing.

2020 class:

  • Julian Fleming:  No. 1, No. 5 overall
  • Mookie Cooper:  No. 11, 64
  • Gee Scott Jr:  No. 13, 66
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba:  No. 18, 89

Talk about the rich getting richer. This may be the most impressive group of receivers I have seen in one class during the 50 years I have followed Ohio State football.

Now a look at why top wide receiver recruits want to play for coach Hartline. It’s often been mentioned by those far more in the know than I am he interacts well with potential recruits, but that alone won’t seal the deal.

However, when they looked at how his receivers performed the first year he coached them it certainly did. Let’s take a look at the numbers his guys put up.

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