Brian Hartline finally has an opportunity to be a head coach. The long-time Ohio State wide receivers coach and current co-Offensive Coordinator was recently hired to take over the South Florida program. He replaces Alex Golesh, who left for Auburn. The hire sent shockwaves through the 2026 Ohio State recruiting class. With a recruiter and developer of talent like Hartline hitting the road, it was only natural that there would be fallout.<\/p>\n
With a later Letter of Intent faxed over from Jerquaden Guilford, the 2026 class is almost complete with 26 signees. Ohio State was able to fend off a number of late pushes for some of its top talents. However, there were two offensive playmakers who flipped away from the Buckeyes. Wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt<\/a> elected to stay closer to home and flipped to USC’s top-ranked, 35-man class. Legend Bey, the athlete the Buckeyes flipped from Tennessee, is an interesting case (and not one we will weigh in on any further). But he flipped back to the Volunteers.<\/p>\n Now, barring any late flips to Ohio State over the next few months, there is only one piece of the class up in the air. Coincidentally, it was the first player to commit to the Buckeyes’ 2026 class over two years ago:<\/p>\n Chris Henry Jr.<\/p>\n Despite being 100% pledged to the Buckeyes since July 2023<\/a>, the departure of Hartline has thrown a wrench into Henry’s plans. When he was hired for the job, Hartline reportedly let the current and future wide receivers know first, providing his players more consideration than many coaches out there do. Henry has been a hot commodity ever since bursting onto the scene as a freshman at West Clermont High School outside of Cincinnati. Then, he moved to another Cincinnati high school, Withrow. Last year, he transferred to a nationally known football power, Mater Dei, in California. He only appeared in two games after suffering an injury, but was a superstar this year.<\/p>\n He’s a difference-maker at receiver. Henry is a Tee Higgins-type of receiver who can use his big frame to turn 50-50 balls into 90-10. While he may not be as developed as a route runner just yet, Henry is that dynamic outside receiver that defenses lose sleep over. He has incredible long speed and will take the top off the defense with ease.<\/p>\n According to 247Sports, he is the third-best receiver in the class. However, in the composite, when you take into consideration all other rankings, he’s the best at his position.<\/p>\n He was completely locked into the Buckeyes’ class. When he shut down his recruitment, Henry specifically mentioned Hartline and his ability to develop receivers. Now that Hartline is set to leave, Henry, understandably, has to step back and reassess.<\/p>\n Ohio State 5-Star WR commit Chris Henry Jr. on his decision to shut down his recruitment:<\/p>\n \u201cMy relationship with Coach Hartline and the development of WRs there is second to none. I want to be in Columbus and I want to be a Buckeye.\u201dhttps:\/\/t.co\/ih4BKIch35<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yD1ATXwNL2<\/a><\/p>\n — Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nOne Major Piece of the 2026 Ohio State Recruiting Class Remains<\/h2>\n
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