The Ohio State football program has decided to promote Brian Hartline as their offensive coordinator. They made this decision after Chip Kelly decided to leave the Buckeyes to be the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL. He'll be coaching for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hartline was already the co-OC while Kelly was in Columbus. The difference is that Hartline now gets to call the plays. This promotion was necessary to keep Hartline happy and in Columbus for the long term. Now, he gets experience that can help him advance into the head coaching ranks in a few years.
While having a first-time play-caller is scary for a team coming off a national championship, it shouldn't be. The Buckeyes will still have a lot of talent next season. One key recruit in the 2026 class is happy that Ohio State decided to promote Hartline to this position.
Top receiver recruit is happy the Ohio State football team promoted Brian Hartline
Hartline has gotten the support of receiver recruit Chris Henry Jr. Henry Jr. is a five-star recruit and is rated as the top receiver in the country. He seems happy that Hartline is getting a chance to coordinate the offense.
Five-Star Ohio State WR commit Chris Henry Jr. on Brian Hartline being promoted to OC:
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 6, 2025
“I love this move. Coach Hartline knows how to develop receivers better than anyone, & now with him as OC I know he's going to put us receivers in the best position to dominate for sure.”… pic.twitter.com/OyBFKh57Yv
There have been reports that Oregon is trying to poach Henry Jr. from Ohio State (Oregon trying to steal another Buckeye receiver? I'm shocked!!), so hearing him say this is reassuring. He understands that Hartline puts receivers in the best possible position to succeed at the next level.
With him calling plays next season, that should only continue. Hartline will certainly make some mistakes, but he still has Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and a whole host of other great players on the offense to help him make up for those mistakes. Day will help him, too.
It's less than ideal to have Hartline call his first game of plays against Texas, which could be the top-ranked team in the country to start out next year. But the Buckeyes will find a lot out about him early on in the year. He's also had a chance to learn from both Day and Kelly on how to call plays effectively.
If he has the support of the recruits, that's a great sign.