Eric Boggs
Ohio State appears ready to turn the page in its wide receiver room with a move that should keep the standard of excellence firmly intact. With Brian Hartline departing Columbus to become the head coach at South Florida, the Buckeyes are reportedly set to hire former LSU wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Cortez Hankton to take over the position beginning in 2026. From a fan’s perspective, this feels less like a rebuild and more like a strategic reload.
Hankton arrives with a résumé that fits Ohio State’s championship expectations. Over the past four seasons at LSU, he played a central role in developing elite NFL talent, most notably Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., both of whom became first-round selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. Nabers went sixth overall to the New York Giants, while Thomas Jr. was taken 23rd by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also coached Kayshon Boutte, now with the New England Patriots, and all three receivers have already surpassed 500 receiving yards in the NFL this season, underscoring Hankton’s reputation as one of the nation’s premier developer of talent.
His impact in Baton Rouge went beyond individual players. Hankton served as LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2022 and 2023 before being promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2024. During that stretch, the Tigers fielded one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the country, finishing third nationally in 2023 and seventh in 2024. Even as the program experienced turbulence in 2025, Hankton’s body of work remained one of the bright spots, and his ability to maximize receiver production against elite SEC competition is exactly what Ohio State values.
Before LSU, Hankton spent four seasons at Georgia, where he helped develop another wave of NFL receivers, including George Pickens, now a standout with the Dallas Cowboys, and several additional draft picks. His time in the SEC gives him deep recruiting ties across the Southeast, a region Ohio State continues to prioritize as it competes nationally for elite talent.
From a Buckeye fan’s point of view, the hire makes sense on every level. Hankton brings proven development of first-round talent, firsthand NFL experience from a nine-year pro career with the Jaguars, Vikings, and Buccaneers, and the recruiting credibility to extend Ohio State’s footprint deeper into talent-rich territory. Just as important, he provides a fresh outside perspective that can help evolve the receiver room while preserving the culture of excellence Hartline built.
Ohio State’s wide receiver tradition has become one of the program’s defining features, and the reported hiring of Cortez Hankton suggests that tradition is not only being protected, but strengthened. In the aftermath of Hartline’s departure, the Buckeyes are once again positioning themselves to stay at the very top of college football’s most competitive position group.
