Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s 2025 wide receiver recruiting has started slower than usual since Brian Hartline became the coach, mainly because many top players committed elsewhere early. However, with summer official visits coming up, things are changing.
The first big change happened when five-star Jamie Ffrench decommitted from Alabama after Nick Saban retired. Now, another major player has reopened his recruitment, and it wasn’t because of a coaching change.
Dakorien Moore, the nation’s No. 3 player and top wide receiver, had been committed to LSU for over a year. He, along with Bryce Underwood, LSU’s top quarterback recruit, were expected to be LSU’s next great duo. But Moore has continued visiting other schools, including Ohio State, which always left a chance he might reconsider his commitment.
Now that Moore has reopened his recruitment, Brian Hartline has the opportunity to continue his streak of landing top wide receivers. In recent years, Hartline has brought in top talents like Julian Fleming (2020), Emeka Egbuka (2021), and Jeremiah Smith (2024). Even players like Caleb Burton (2022) and Brandon Inniss (2023) were highly ranked, and Chris Henry Jr. (2026) is already the top player in his class.
So far, the 2025 class has been quiet. Its first commit, four-star Jayvan Boggs, reopened his recruitment in March, and De’zie Jones quickly replaced him. Jones, a four-star from New Jersey, is part of Ohio State’s second-ranked 2025 class, but he needs more high-level company.
Looking ahead, Emeka Egbuka is the only Ohio State receiver likely to enter the NFL Draft after the 2024 season, so the future looks bright. Hartline has never had a disappointing recruiting class, and with top players back on the table, he aims to keep it that way.
The battle for Jamie Ffrench involves pulling him out of Florida and SEC territory. For Dakorien Moore, it’s about convincing another Texas five-star to come to Ohio State, even though Texas is stronger now than when Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson were recruited.
Moore visited Columbus this spring, and the next goal is to get him back in June. Hartline is looking to continue his unprecedented success in recruiting. With Moore’s decommitment from LSU, Ohio State has another big opportunity to strengthen its future.
