Ohio State football has consistently been able to recruit the best receivers in the country. It was able to get the No. 2 receiver in the Class of 2019, Garrett Wilson, and the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver in the Class of 2020, Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
It goes farther back than then as well with the likes of Michael Thomas and Chris Olave. However, over the last half a decade, the Buckeyes have dominated recruiting receivers, partly because of Brian Hartline, their former NFL receiver turned receivers coach. He is also the co-offensive coordinator.
More recently, Ohio State snagged the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024, a generational talent in receiver Jeremiah Smith. The freshman phenom had two touchdowns in the team’s season-opening win over Akron.
Donovan Murph, a four-star recruit in the Class of 2026, who the Buckeyes have offered a spot to, was at the game. He noticed a difference in the Ohio State receiver room, something that differentiates the program.
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“I’m glad I went. What stood out to me a lot was the receiver room and how efficient it was, it’s not just one person,” Murph told Eleven Warriors. “That’s one thing I really look for, a competitive room. I don’t want to play just because I was good in high school, I want to work for everything I get. I see that type of mentality at Ohio State. I love the transparency with coach Hartline, I can appreciate that, he’s a straight up coach and will tell it like it is. That’s something I look for.”
Murph has numerous Division 1 offers which include Auburn, Clemson, Alabama, Penn State, and numerous others. The Buckeyes are a top-three program for Murph after his visit.
From Columbia, South Carolina, Murph is the 19th-best receiver in the Class of 2026 according to 247Sports. From the sound of it, he’s ready to compete at Ohio State and loves the stardom the program has.
Hartline and company have built a program that players want to be in, and one where iron sharpens iron. That’s seen by recruits and continues to make Ohio State a favorable spot for the nation’s best.