Ohio State continues to build on what someday might be considered the greatest wide receiver room of all time.
It's more than hype or even hyperbole. It's a numbers game at this point.
The Buckeyes secured commitments from two of the top three receivers in 247Sports.com's recruiting rankings for the 2023 class. Five-star receiver Carnell Tate (IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.) committed on Monday. Fellow five-star receiver Brandon Innis (American Heritage, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) followed with a commitment on Tuesday.
Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline continues to build on a reputation as one of college football's best recruiters under coach Ryan Day; a perception that is going to swell with each cycle. The Buckeyes are challenging – and perhaps surpassing – Alabama for the title of “WRU” in the College Football Playoff era.
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But seriously, can we talk about the greatest wide receiver room of all time? What about Miami with Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss? What about Alabama – which has produced six first-round receivers since 2018?
Ohio State is in position to match – or perhaps surpass that now. Hartline's recruiting track record is off the charts since he took the receiver coach job in 2018. Look at the recruits at the position with four-star ratings or better since:
Ohio State WR recruits since 2019
| PLAYER | YEAR | STARS |
| Garrett Wilson* | 2019 | 5 |
| Jameson Williams* (transferred to Alabama) | 2019 | 4 |
| Julian Fleming | 2020 | 5 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 2020 | 5 |
| Gee Scott Jr. | 2020 | 4 |
| Emeka Egbuka | 2021 | 5 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | 2021 | 4 |
| Jayden Ballard | 2021 | 4 |
| Kyion Graves | 2022 | 4 |
| Caleb Burton | 2022 | 4 |
| Carnell Tate | 2023 | 5 |
| Brandon Innis | 2023 | 5 |
*Denotes first-round NFL Pick
That doesn't count Chris Olave, a three-star recruit from the class of 2018. The absurdity of the talent is going to show out over the next few NFL Drafts. Wilson and Olave were first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Smith-Njigba is projected to be a first-round pick in 2023 according to Sporting News' initial mock draft, and Harrison Jr. and Egbuka could be tandem first-round picks in 2024 if they continue to develop.
That's not even counting the development of Fleming, Ballard, Grayes and Burton before Tate and Innis arrive. Even with attrition and transfers, you can count on at least one or two of those receivers to develop into a first-round pick, too.
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That's potential for five first-round picks at the position in three years. Only three schools have put five first-round receivers in the NFL in a 10-year stretch.
Alabama, of course, can make that argument now. The Crimson Tide has six first-round receivers since 2018, a run that includes Calvin Ridley (2018), Jerry Jeudy (2020), Henry Ruggs IV (2020), DeVonta Smith (2021), Jaylen Waddle (2021) and Jameson Williams (2022), who started his career at Ohio State.
Ohio State did put five first-round receivers in the NFL from 1999-2007 with David Boston (1999), Michael Jenkins (2004), Santonio Holmes (2005), Anthony Gonzalez (2007) and Ted Ginn Jr. (2007). They followed the school's other first-round receivers; a group that includes Terry Glenn (1996), Joey Galloway (1995) and Paul Warfield (1964).
The Crimson Tide and Buckeyes each have put 10 first-round WRs in the league, a race that should continue over the next few cycles that should top the all-time leader.
Tennessee is the answer to that question. The Volunteers have 11 first-round receivers all time, and that included six from 1977-1988 with a group that included Stanley Morgan (1977), Anthony Hancock (1982), Willie Gault (1983), Clyde Duncan (1984), Tim McGee (1986) and Anthony Miller (1988).
Miami and LSU have had flashes. Wayne (2001), Johnson (2001) and Moss (2003) all played on the same Hurricanes' team, and LSU had Justin Jefferson (2020) and Ja'Marr Chase (2021) at the same time. The Gators had Ike Hilliard (1997), Reidel Anthony (1997) and second-round pick Jacquez Green (1998) as part of Fun 'n' Gun in the 1990s.
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But it's the sheer accumulation of talent at the position that Ohio State has put together that might separate it from the rest. The Buckeyes' have paired that perimeter talent with what could be their third consecutive first-round quarterback in C.J Stroud, who should follow Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins as a first-round pick. Five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola will join the roster in 2024.
It's an elite line that should deliver high-level production for the most of the 2020s, and that will spill to the next level. As long as Day and Hartline can continue to recruit at this level, there is no end in sight.
At some point, the question might not be whether Ohio State has the greatest receiver room of all time.
It will be which year we're talking about.
