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The ‘Hart’ of Ohio State’s WR room: Brian Hartline
Ohio State wide receiver coach, Brian Hartline, top, celebrates with his position group after dismantling Clemson, 49-28, in the 2021 Sugar Bowl. (Courtesy: @brianhartline/Twitter)

The ‘Hart’ of Ohio State’s WR room: Brian Hartline

Jake Rice - BVM Sports Intern Writer

Updated:

COLUMBUS, Ohio (BVM) — It is a known fact that the Ohio State football team is one of the best in the country: top to bottom. They rule over the Big Ten with an iron fist and have represented the conference several times in college football’s unofficial congress: the College Football Playoff.

The program is going through a change under the leadership of head coach Ryan Day that follows the trends of college football altogether. With that said, two things are needed to be implemented to carry out Day’s blueprint: a quarterback who can sling the rock and dependable receivers who catch everything.

Corey Dennis — Day’s replacement in the room — is the leader of the quarterback squad and Brian Hartline does the same with the wide receivers. It is important to note that the last Ohio State wide receivers to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft were back in 2007 with Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez — ninth and 32nd overall, respectively.

This looks to change with Hartline manning the helm of ‘S.S. Pass Catcher.’

Hartline embodies ‘been there, done that’ well in terms of what a person can do as a receiver. As a standout multisport athlete at GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, Hartline chose the opportunity to take his talents as a football player to Ohio State’s campus.

From there, the wideout would play for the Buckeyes from 2005 to 2008 but would redshirt his first year. His first year in 2006 would be the year he would see the field but make a minimal impact tallying 17 receptions for 256 yards in 12 games. Hartline would also notch two touchdowns and play in the BCS Championship against Florida.

His redshirt sophomore season is where he flashed as a pass-catcher. In 13 games, the Canton native would put up 52 catches and six touchdowns for a total of 694 yards — all career-bests. Adding to that, Hartline would help out on special teams as a returner with 229 yards and a touchdown on 20 returns. 

Once again, Hartline would play in the BCS Championship, but this time against LSU.

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In his last year in the scarlet and grey, the redshirt junior receiver would have a down year. In 12 games, Hartline posted 21 receptions for 479 yards and four scores while also having four returns equating to 22 yards on special teams. Even with the down year, Hartline would decide to forgo his last year of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft despite some advising him to stay.

The now former Buckeye was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round with pick 108. From there, Hartline would make the most of the opportunity in the NFL and would play seven seasons; six with Miami and one with the Cleveland Browns. Hartline’s first three seasons in the NFL would be very similar in performance hovering around 30 catches, 500 yards and at least one score. 

Then things took off for the Ohioan.

In back-to-back seasons, Hartline would record 1,000-yard seasons. In 2012, he caught 74 balls for 1,083 yards and a touchdown to which he followed up next season with 76 catches, 1,016 yards and four scores. Hartline would never recapture this type of production in his career.

In his final season with Miami and his first with his hometown Browns, Hartline would return near the 30-500-1 mark that he played at during his first three seasons. Following this, the Browns would release Hartline after one season. He decided then to call it a career and retire from pro football.

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This would be the changing of the guard for the former-NFL player as he exchanged his mouthpiece for a whistle. 

Starting in 2017, Hartline would hop on board Urban Meyer’s staff at his alma mater as a quality control coach helping out with receivers. The coaching itch would not stop there as he would remain on the staff for the following season and move a spot on the coaching totem pole.

After the Zach Smith debacle during the 2018 offseason — the Ohio State wide receivers coach at the time — Hartline was promoted to interim wide receivers coach. This promotion would eventually become a permanent one in 2019 as Hartline would be named the full-time WR coach going forward.

With his promotion would come big changes in the pass catcher’s room in Columbus, Ohio. As the interim coach, he helped the room to a massive year with Buckeye standouts Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, K.J. Hill and Terry McLaurin on the receiving end. Those four wideouts would all record 1,000 yards in their careers, the first time in school history.

Campbell, Hill, McLaurin and Dixon would also break the school record for receptions (287), yards (3,707) and touchdowns (42). Campbell and McLaurin would end up being drafted the following year, with pick 59 in the second round and pick 76 in the third round, respectively. 

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In 2018, Hartline would get to dip his toes in the high school talent pool with recruiting. The coach’s first get was Missouri’s own Jameson Williams who was a top-100 player and four-star wide receiver in the 2019 recruiting class according to 247Sports. Not long after did Hartline grab two early commitments.

Coming out of the 2020 recruiting class was Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Texas. Smith-Njigba was a top-30 recruit nationally, and a top-five recruit from Texas and the wide receiver position as a whole by 247Sports. Hartline was able to get the Texan early as a junior and kept him until he made it onto Ohio State’s campus.

Then, soon after Smith-Njigba came Gee Scott Jr., another top wide receiver from the 2020 recruiting class. Scott Jr. was the second-ranked prospect from the state of Washington, 10th-ranked wide receiver and a top-100 talent overall from the 247Sports ranking.

Lightning struck once again under the watchful eyes of the former-pro. Another group of four all hit the 1,000-career-yard mark in 2019 with Hill returning and Austin Mack, Binjimen Victor and Chris Olave being the greenhorns to the record books.

While not on the gridiron or in the film room in 2019, the 34-year old made a name for himself nationally as an elite recruiter. After nabbing both Smith-Njigba and Scott Jr. from the 2020 class, Hartline would go on a tear that would name him the 2020 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year. 

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Hartline secured commitments from Julian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr., Mookie Cooper and Jayden Ballard while assisting with C.J. Stroud, Cameron Martinez and Kyle McCord. Fleming, Cooper, Smith-Njigba, Scott Jr., Stroud and Martinez are all part of the 2020 class.

However, the WRs coach would not be immune from the nuances that came from 2020. 

The year 2020 dismantled all levels of football with college football arguably being the messiest of them all. The NCAA — the governing body of collegiate athletics — allowed the athletic conferences to decide their fate when it came to sports. The Big Ten would initially cancel its football season, entirely leaving Hartline without Saturdays in the fall. 

Substantial pushback from coaches, players, parents and fans forced the Big Ten to reconsider its decision and hold a season. The conference elected for an eight-game regular season and an additional week to help the teams in their quest for bowl games. 

Due to the limited amount of games, the Ohio State coaches unit would see a down year statistically but would show the same type of performance from years prior. Headlining the group would be senior Chris Olave and junior Garrett Wilson. 

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The tandem would wreak havoc over every defensive secondary with Olave recording 50 catches for 729 yards and seven scores in only seven games due to COVID-19 complications. Wilson would not be far behind with 723 yards on 43 receptions for six touchdowns in eight games. 

The supporting cast of Hartline-recruited players of Williams, Smith-Njigba and Fleming would see the field and help Ohio State’s passing attack to continue terrorizing defenses. 

Hartline would continue to recruit during 2020 but is now on the recruiting trail for 2021 trying to maintain the room he has built up. Adding to the 2021 class with Ballard’s commitment on the books, Hartline earned the trust of Emeka Egbuka — the top wide receiver and top-10 talent — and Harrison Jr. — son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. 

So far in the 2022 recruiting class, Hartline has three commitments from Texan wide receiver Caleb Burton, Kyion Grayes — a wide receiver from Arizona — and recent commit, Kaleb Brown, a wide receiver from Chicago.

It is fair to say that Hartline is developing a dynasty in the wide receiver room at Ohio State and top talents are not afraid to compete and learn under the former NFL player. Egbuka sums it up best. 

“Not only [was] coach Hartline a factor in my decision,” Egbuka said to Jeremy Birmingham of Lettermen Row. “I thought it would be great for me to develop in the receiver room surrounded with lots of great talent knowing that I’m going to have to work really hard to earn a spot on the team.”

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