Seemingly every program from the FBS level down to Division III is dealing with the fallout of the transfer portal opening. Ohio State was never going to be immune from departures. Now, pair that up with Brian Hartline earning an opportunity to be the head coach at South Florida. After taking over as the wide receiver coach out of the ashes of a scandal, Hartline has turned the Buckeyes into a first-round wide receiver factory. Zach Smith, his predecessor, was fine. Smith joined the staff in late 2011, so his first real recruiting class was the 2013 haul. From then until the 2018 class, Smith recruited or developed seven NFL-bound receivers, including four second-round picks. Hartline, before the 2026 NFL Draft, developed seven NFL Draft picks, highlighted by five first-round picks over the last four drafts. Carnell Tate is expected to add to that total.
So, on January 1, Ryan Day hired former LSU wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton. While he will get to coach up what could be considered the best wide receiver in Ohio State history, he will have his work cut out for him.
New Ohio State Wide Receiver Coach Has His Work Cut Out for Him
Mass Exodus
Circling back to the transfer portal discussion, with Hartline’s departure, it was expected that a few receivers would follow him. It certainly started that way. Then, over the last few days, it has snowballed. As of January 7, the Buckeyes have lost five players to the transfer portal and one to the NFL.
Damarion Witten was not much of a surprise. He came to Ohio State as a converted tight end, so he was going to be a bit of a project. Dorian Williams was also a bit of a project and buried on the depth chart.
Bryson Rodgers lost the battle to be WR3 in 2025, but still got on the field for 129 snaps over the course of seven appearances. He finished with the fifth-most snaps of the group.
Then, it got serious. A five-star recruit from the 2024 class, Mylan Graham, joined Witten, Williams, and Rodgers in the portal. Graham had the fourth-most snaps of the group…but only 12 in the game against Rutgers, in which the Buckeyes were without both top receivers. He was seemingly passed up by senior walk-on David Adolph. After him, the five-star recruit from the 2025 class, Quincy Porter, joined the group. Porter only appeared in four games for a total of 57 snaps.
Graham and Porter were expected to get significant playing time in 2026 alongside Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss (assuming he returns), and incoming five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. Now, the depth is a massive concern. Behind Smith and probably Inniss, what does Hankton have to work with?
The Current Depth
Heading into 2026, this is the current wide receiver room for the Buckeyes:
- Junior Jeremiah Smith (163 catches, 2,558 yards, 27 touchdowns)
- Senior Brandon Inniss (51 catches, 505 yards, five touchdowns)
- Redshirt Freshman Phillip Bell (three games appeared, former four-star recruit)
- Redshirt Freshman De’Zie Jones (former four-star recruit)
- Redshirt Freshman Bodpegn Miller (former four-star recruit)
- Freshman Chris Henry Jr. (five-star recruit)
- Freshman Jerquaden Guilford (four-star recruit)
- Freshman Jaeden Ricketts (three-star recruit)
- Freshman Brock Boyd (three-star recruit)
- Freshman Amari Valerio-Hudson (two-star recruit)
If Inniss decides to move on, it’s Smith and nothing proven. The hope is that Henry will be able to step in right away as a true freshman this fall and have a breakout campaign himself. However, hope isn’t a strategy.
At the same time, every college football player enters college unproven. Every single player is an unknown until they’re put on the field. On one hand, the Buckeyes could be perfectly fine with the players currently down the depth chart. On the other hand, you have no idea if any of those recruits are going to pan out.
The caveat with a quiet portal presence is always that perhaps the coaches believe in the players currently in-house. Hankton will need to get to know these unproven pieces quickly or else the Lunatic Fringe ™ will feel about as emboldened as can be. The hire was not received well by the Fringe, plus that group is turning on offensive line coach Tyler Bowen after just one year. Good luck, coach.
Portal Targets?
The Ohio State wide receiver depth issues are well-documented to this point. As a result, the Buckeyes will need to do something it has never done in the transfer portal era: take in a transfer receiver. The first target is off the board, unfortunately. Former Old Dominion receiver Tre Brown committed to LSU before taking a visit. Of course, on Wednesday, as this article is being drafted, UTSA receiver Devin McCuin committed to the Buckeyes. He comes to Columbus after three years at UTSA, totalling 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career. 2026 will be his final year of eligibility.
So, what next?
As of this point, the only receiver to visit or is planning to visit is former Texas receiver, DeAndre Moore Jr. The Buckeyes are battling Kentucky, Louisville, and Colorado for his services. He’s a solid slot option who amassed 988 yards and 11 touchdowns on 77 catches over the last two seasons.
Cam Coleman (Auburn) would be awesome, but he’s likely staying south. Keeping Chase Hendricks (Ohio) in the state would be nice, as well, but we haven’t seen any kind of contact. It’s been quiet on that front. Unless the Buckeyes have a few budding stars ready in the wings, it would be a mistake not to add to the depth.
New Ohio State wide receivers coach Hankton is going to have to really earn his paycheck this year. Who will he coach up to step up behind one established star and one (probable) established starter?
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