The Recap: Everything we learned from Lettermen Row Wide Receivers Week

SpencerHolbrook

Brian Hartline by Matt Parker -- Lettermen Row -- — Ohio State offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline speaks to the media ahead of the summer. (Matt Parker/Lettermen Row)

The summer offseason is in full swing, and Lettermen Row is trying to survive it with our annual Position Week breakdowns. By the time all nine units and coaching staff at Ohio State have been covered, training camp and media days will nearly have arrived, and the return of football in the Horseshoe will be just around the corner. We’re continuing with our fourth positional week with an incredible collection of talent: the Buckeyes wide receivers.

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is wearing the ‘WRU’ badge with plenty of honor, and for good reason.

Brian Hartline has taken a good position group and made it not just great, but historic. The Buckeyes recruit, develop and field the best batch of wide receivers every season. Yes, that means some receivers will end up transferring out and finding a new home. Some worthy receivers won’t earn playing time.

Such is life at the nation’s best position group.

The man leading the charge for the Ohio State pass catchers wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Typically, the more talent you have, the more you’re demanding of the player,” Hartline said. “And then the more you can demand of the player, the more of the growth you’re probably going to get for each individual.

“So the goal is to continue to add the best players in the country to the room to allow them to push those that are currently there and those that are coming. That’s always the goal. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Ohio State is continuing to do so with each recruiting cycle and each NFL Draft, becoming the gold standard for wide receiver play in college football. Don’t expect that to slow down anytime soon.

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Lettermen Row is putting a bow on Wide Receivers Week, a week-long journey to break down in deep detail everything about the Buckeyes elite crop of pass-catchers. We’re wrapping it all up with a one-stop shop for everything we learned while breaking it all down before we move onto Offensive Line Week.

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Projected depth chart

Projected starters: Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming

The same three receivers that started a majority of the Buckeyes games this season are back. All three have the potential to make this the best receiving trio in the country. Of course, it all starts with Marvin Harrison Jr., who will be favored to win the Biletnikoff Award next fall after leading the Buckeyes this season. Emeka Egbuka, who had more than 1,000 yard receiving in 2022, and Julian Fleming are former No. 1 wide receivers in their classes. Egbuka and Fleming sat out spring practice due to injuries, but they’ll be back this summer to form an insane trio of talented receivers.

For the full projected depth chart, go here.

Top five wide receiver performances since Ryan Day became head coach

The Buckeyes are reeling in hordes of receiver talent, and it’s made for consistent star power at the position. That’s gone hand-in-hand with Heisman-caliber quarterback play, hence why Ohio State has thrived through the air under Day.

For Lettermen Row “Wide Receivers Week,” we ranked the top-five Buckeyes wideout performances since Day took over as Ohio State’s frontman.

READ: Top-five wide receiver performances since Ryan Day became head coach