For the last decade plus, Ohio State’s wide receiver recruiting efforts have been second-to-none. With Brian Hartline, if you include the 2026 class, which he had a hand in securing, the Buckeyes signed seven five-star receivers and 20 four-stars. At the same time, he produced nine NFL Draft picks with six first-rounders. He has since left for USF, so Cortez Hankton was tabbed to come in.
Despite losing quite a bit of talent to the transfer portal, Hankton and the rest of the coaching staff are confident in this year’s unit. Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker are expected to step up, with Jeremiah Smith leading the way. Ryan Day has mentioned that this year’s group is the deepest and most talented he’s seen in Columbus.
His coaching chops are established; the Buckeye receivers look to be in good hands. However, in the six months he’s been on the job, the Buckeyes have yet to earn the commitment of a wide receiver recruit.
They will come, but when?
When Will Cortez Hankton’s First Commitment Come?
2026 Swings
As of now, Jamier Brown, the top recruit regardless of position in Ohio and one of the best receivers in the class, is pledged to the Buckeyes. Brown moved to Big Walnut High School, just outside Columbus, from Indiana, and has been locked in with the Buckeyes for a while now. It doesn’t seem like anything is going to sway the five-star recruit from Ohio State.
However, Brown is the only receiver in the class thus far.
Hankton and the Buckeyes are locked into a few battles for some of the top talents in the class. At the top, 247Sports’ top receiver in the class is Monshun Sales from Lawrence North in Indianapolis. In the past, waltzing into Indiana and poaching its top athletes was not an issue. That’s not the case anymore. Indiana is in a great spot for Sales. If he signs with the Hoosiers, he’d be the highest-rated recruit in the history of 247Sports’ ratings.
Ohio State was seemingly in the running for four-star Eric McFarland, but he recently trimmed his list to three SEC schools. At the same time, the Buckeyes have been trying to flip four-star Texas Tech commit Benny Easter Jr., who is from Texas.
Another recent development has been the offer and courting of California four-star recruit Blake Wong. Currently uncommitted, Wong is the fifth-best receiver in California.
Down The Line
Perhaps the next receiver commitment will come from a player entering his junior season?
Remember Marvin Harrison Jr.? Well, he has a younger brother who is, as the elder Harrison put it, “He’s definitely more talented than I ever was at that age…He sees me here, and I think it’s natural for him to want to follow in my footsteps.” According to Rivals/On3, Jett Harrison is the second-best receiver and fourth-best overall recruit in the 2028 class. 247Sports is a bit cooler on him, listing him as a four-star player and the third-best receiver and 17th-best overall player.
Coincidentally, he was on campus for a camp today.
The Buckeyes have offered a handful of 2028 receivers, including each of the top six according to the Rivals300. Based on their metrics, the Buckeyes are in on six receivers, including Harrison. So, time will tell.
Hankton’s History
In his career, Hankton has recruited and coached some solid receivers. He was the receivers coach at Dartmouth from 2012 through 2014. He moved on to Vanderbilt from 2015 through 2017 before leading the Georgia receivers from 2018 through 2021. Then, he moved on to LSU, where he spent 2022 through 2025, before taking over at Ohio State. Hankton was on staff when the Bulldogs won the national championship in 2021.
According to 247Sports, Hankton recruited and signed 24 receivers in his time in the SEC. Of those 24, only one was a five-star recruit (George Pickens), and 14 were four-star recruits. Of all of the recruits, only Pickens, Adonai Mitchell, and Ladd McConkey made it to the NFL.
He was able to coach the likes of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., and brought in Zavion Thomas via the transfer portal. Both Nabers and Thomas signed with LSU in 2021, so Hankton had to keep them in the fold when he came to town, of course.
The Buckeye fanbase is a bit nervous. The defensive recruiting efforts are coming together. Ohio State is in the running for an elite running back who could be a day-one contributor. The offensive line is coming together. But there are no receivers aside from Brown.
When will the first Hankton commitment come?
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