With Brian Hartline moving on to take the head coaching job at USF, there’s been a noticeable shift in the recruiting buzz around Ohio State - particularly at wide receiver. And that’s no small thing.
Hartline wasn’t just a position coach; he was a recruiting machine, helping reel in five-star talent year after year and developing four straight first-round NFL Draft picks at the position. That number’s expected to hit five this April.
So yeah, his departure left a bit of a void - and a fair amount of anxiety among Buckeye fans. Even though Ohio State landed a couple of five-star wideouts in the 2026 class, those commitments were largely secured while Hartline was still in Columbus. The question now is whether the Buckeyes can keep that wide receiver pipeline flowing without him.
Enter Cortez Hankton, the new wide receivers coach in Columbus. Hankton’s no stranger to the recruiting trail - he’s got SEC experience and a solid track record - but this is his first big test in scarlet and gray. And right now, he’s in the middle of a high-stakes battle for one of the top wideouts in the country.
Ohio State in the Final Four for Monshun Sales
Monshun Sales, a five-star receiver out of Indianapolis’ Lawrence North High School, is the kind of talent that can anchor a recruiting class - and an offense. At 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, Sales is a matchup nightmare.
He’s got the frame to win contested catches and the body control to track deep balls like a seasoned pro. Simply put, he’s the type of receiver Ohio State has made a habit of developing into NFL stars.
Sales just trimmed his list of schools down to four, and Ohio State is still in the mix. The competition?
Alabama, Miami, and Indiana. And for the Buckeyes, this recruitment carries a little extra sting.
They dropped their final two games of the season to Indiana and Miami - so losing Sales to either of those programs would be a tough pill to swallow.
Still, the Buckeyes have been in this one for a while, and the fact that Sales is still seriously considering them even after Hartline’s exit is a good sign. It speaks to the program’s overall appeal and the relationships that go beyond just one coach.
If Ohio State can land Sales, he’d join a 2027 class that already includes Chris Henry Jr. and Jerquaden Guilford - a trio that would give the Buckeyes one of the most physically gifted young receiver groups in the country. That kind of firepower on the perimeter is what keeps Ohio State in the national title conversation year after year.
As for when a decision might come? That’s still up in the air.
National Signing Day is nearly a year away, so this recruitment could stretch deep into the fall. But make no mistake - this is one of the biggest targets on Ohio State’s board, and Hankton has a real opportunity here to make his mark in Columbus.
The post-Hartline era is officially underway. And if the Buckeyes can land Monshun Sales, it’ll be a strong early statement that they’re not going anywhere when it comes to elite wide receiver talent.