Brian Hartline demonstrating Ohio State wide receiver drills
Brian Hartline is one of the best position coaches in college football. Since taking over the Ohio State wide receiver room ahead of the 2018 season, Hartline has turned the group into one of the most competitive in the country.
Some of this success has to do with recruiting top receivers, where the Buckeyes excelled the last few years, landing the No. 1 ranked wideout in each of the last two classes and the second-best receiver in the 2019 class. For this Hartline was named the 247Sports’ Recruiter of the Year in 2020 after landing the top receiver class that included Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr. and Mookie Cooper, all top-16 wideouts in the 247Sports Composite.
Hartline followed that up with another impressive class in 2021, one that Scarlet and Gray fans got a glimpse of in Ohio State’s spring game on Saturday.
But being a good recruiter is only part of Hartline’s success. He also has done well developing players into polished collegiate wide receivers once they are Buckeyes. Thanks to Ohio State’s video and social media team, fans now get a glimpse at what makes Hartline so good as a coach on the field.
In a recent series of videos put out on the Buckeyes’ Twitter account, Hartline goes through some basic drills with head coach Ryan Day‘s son, RJ, and two other boys. These are drills that can be done anywhere — a park, a backyard, on a playground — in order to continue to develop as players, something Hartline thinks is important.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 21, 2021
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 21, 2021
“I encourage you guys to go out and play a great game,” Hartline says in the first video. “The great game of football really has changed my life. I grew up in Northeastern Ohio, I started playing football when I was about nine years old. I ended up playing all the way up through the ranks and just understanding what I was taught on the field and how it transponded [sic] into who I am today is paramount. Obviously, I find myself here after playing at Ohio State, coming back to coach at Ohio State. I always say, playing the great game of football is really who I am. So I encourage you guys to get out and play a great game.”
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Through a series of seven videos, Hartline demonstrates some simple drills that will help receivers work on their technique, including stance at the line of scrimmage, coming off the ball, coming out of breaks, blocking and catching the ball. These videos give some insight into how Hartline works with his players and what the Buckeyes focus on in order to get better every day.
It also showcases Hartline as a coach and why he has become one of the best receiver coaches in the country.
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