Brian Hartline brags about Buckeyes’ WR group, sends warning to opponents in 2022
Ohio State assistant Brian Hartline cannot wait to showcase the Buckeyes’ wealth of talent in the wide receiver room next season. Coming off Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s historic performance in the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl win over Utah, saying Hartline is excited about the next crop of stars at the position is an understatement.
“I’ll take all 3 and I’ll raise you the 6 learning from them! Get ya popcorn (emoji),” Hartline tweeted Monday, re-posting a graphic from Pro Football Focus asking who you would take between Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Smith-Njigba.
This is not the first time Hartline has beat his chest about Ohio State’s elite group of wideouts. One former NFL scout — Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy — said Maryland could hold the title of the Big Ten’s group to beat at the position in 2022 thanks to recent Florida transfer Jacob Copeland adding to an already impressive collection of pass-catchers that includes Dontay Demus and former 247Sports Composite five-star Rakim Jarrett.
“Strong case can now be made that (Terps Football) has the best WR corps in the Big Ten,” Nagy tweeted on Christmas Eve, resulting in a simple “nope” response from Hartline.
Ohio State loses projected first-rounders Olave and Wilson, but welcomes back Smith-Njigba who led the team in catches and receiving yards this season, Julian Fleming — the No. 1 receiver in the 2020 class — and others, including Marvin Harrison Jr., who scored three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl Game.
The Buckeyes also signed a quartet of four-star 2022 receivers during the early period — Kaleb Brown, Caleb Burton, Kojo Antwi and Kyion Grayes — who could be impactful.
There is no doubt that the Terrapins’ production at the wide-receiver spot should be impressive in Mike Locksley’s spread attack in the Big Ten, but with Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud returning to lead the Buckeyes, Hartline feels he is onto something here.
Notes InsideMDSports’ Jeff Ermann, Copeland — how has two years of eligibility remaining — should see a plethora of targets at Maryland thanks to a roster losing several pass-catchers. A 6-foot, 202-pound junior, led Florida with 39 catches for 607 yards and four touchdown catches last season. A former four-star recruit at Escambia High on Pensacola, Fla., he was ranked the No. 69 player and No. 12 receiver in the Class of 2018.
Jarrett, who played in four games as a freshman during the pandemic-shortened campaign, managed 56 catches for 769 yards and five touchdowns this fall for the Terrapins. His lone receptions during a 66-17 loss to Ohio State went for a 43-yard touchdown in October, the last time Jarrett found the end zone this season.
As for the Buckeyes’ newest additions at the position, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said during the early signing period his staff sought players who got after it at the position.
“Those four receivers want to be here. They are highly competitive,” Day said.
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