Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is one of the hottest potential coaching hires during the current cycle because his work to turn OSU into "WRU" makes him a logical hire for any school in the country.
Talent comes from anywhere at that position, and Hartline has brought on talent from the Sunshine State, to the Prairie State, to the Evergreen State, and many places in between.
That means the Florida Gators make sense. The LSU Tigers make sense. The Virginia Tech Hokies make sense, especially if they want to spend big on talent and personnel, as has been rumored. Unfortunately, the Penn State Nittany Lions make a ton of sense, with Jim Knowles already serving as the team's defensive coordinator. Having two of Ryan Day's top assistants from the 2024 Buckeyes could be a good way to emulate that squad's success. If Knowles survives the offseason, that is.
If Hartline jumped ship, would Ohio State still have the same shine to receiver recruits? Cleveland.com's Stefan Krajisnik believes that as long as Ryan Day is around, receivers will be in good hands with whoever he has under center.
"Hartline has been regarded as arguably the best position coach in the country. He’s recruited at a high level, and he’s helped the Buckeyes produce a first-round pick at the position across four straight drafts — a trend which could continue with Carnell Tate in 2026 and Jeremiah Smith in 2027," Krajisnik wrote.
"However, if Hartline pursues a head-coaching job, receiver play at Ohio State shouldn’t bottom out.
"The Buckeyes have a strong history of receiver play, ranging from Cris Carter to David Boston. Ohio State also has Day’s offense, which centers around talented quarterbacks getting the ball to weapons on the perimeter."
Day's ability to make home run hires has been on display for two straight offseasons. There's every reason to believe he'll continue to do so. Julian Sayin's success certainly speaks to Billy Fessler's presence as a first-year QB coach.
If Hartline finds a new job, it'll hurt, but the Buckeyes brand will carry Columbus to continued college football relevancy.