Scarlet Sunrise: Brian Hartline honored as country's top receivers coach

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Brian Hartline honored as country’s top receivers coach

Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline led the top receiving unit in the country this season. He is being honored for developing that room.

Hartline was named the country’s best wide receivers coach by FootballScoop on Wednesday, just a day after new Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was named the top defensive coordinator in America.

Hartline’s unit featured three of the top receivers in the country, including record-breaking Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had a bowl record 347 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl to go along with school records for catches in a season (95) and receiving yards in a season(1,606). Future first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were also part of the dominant unit. And the backups? They’re all top players Hartline is developing for the future.

So for those efforts, Hartline is finally being honored for the work he has done with developing the wide receiver position at Ohio State.

Buckeyes land safety from transfer portal

Ohio State is going back to the same well for more defensive help: Oklahoma State safety Tanner McCalister picked the program as his transfer destination on Wednesday.

After four years working under coordinator Jim Knowles with the Cowboys, McCalister elected to follow the coach to the next stop as well, giving the Buckeyes some proven depth in the secondary and intimate knowledge of the new defensive system.

Ohio State didn’t enter the offseason viewing the position as a top-priority position in the portal thanks to the talent already on hand. But McCalister’s experience made him an appealing addition once he decided to pursue an extra season in the collegiate ranks, and the fact that two Ohio State safeties will now be coming off major leg injuries could potentially make him even more valuable.

There’s little doubt that Ohio State will have the offensive firepower to chase one again next year, but clearly the defensive side of the football wasn’t up to that standard as the program came up short of the playoff last season. Tanner McCalister is coming to bolster the defense.

READ: What Tanner McCalister transferring to Ohio State means moving forward

ICYMI: Lettermen Live hosted by Roosters

Lettermen Row senior writer and show host Austin Ward leads another all-star unit featuring former Ohio State quarterbacks Cardale Jones and Justin Zwick, former Buckeyes linebacker Bobby Carpenter and Lettermen Row staff reporter Spencer Holbrook.

It’s a jam-packed show as the three former Buckeyes give insight from their playing days for unique angles on how Ohio State captured a Rose Bowl win. In addition to that analysis, the entire crew dishes out Buckeye Leafs for the players whose performances caught their eye the most from Pasadena.

Also, during the game, former Ohio State defensive back Marcus Williamson sounded off on Twitter to give his opinions on the Buckeyes program while he was there – including under the Urban Meyer regime – and the college football landscape.

Because of their inside perspectives, this trio of former Ohio State players have plenty of valuable opinions on what Williamson said, the Buckeyes program and the sport itself.

You absolutely will not want to miss that discussion as part of another loaded show that features plenty more Buckeyes news and analysis.

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