Ohio State signed four top-100 prospects at wide receiver. Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline spoke to members of the media about the haul.
- Mookie Cooper has the ability to fit into the slot receiver role. All of the receivers are versatile, though, and can play any position. I want to see how they do in practice and go from there.
- Austin Mack is a great example of someone who played all three receiver spots. He played one position for three years, then this year he played the other two. So I don’t like
- The biggest thing with OSU wide receivers in the NFL is that guys are fans of players more than teams now. A lot of the recruits like Michael Thomas, who is the best in the NFL.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Mark Pantoni and his staff have done a great job of identifying guys. You find a guy that has the right mental make-up. Then you ask, what can he do athletically? It was a match made that was supposed to happen.
- We just focus on our own. We don’t worry about other programs. There are only a couple teams in the country that we rival in recruiting.
- Coach Day is awesome. He’s a stud. The amount of communication he has with the recruits is paramount.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: What can’t he do? It’s really hard to find. He plays against great competition. He runs great routes. He feels coachable. He’s a playmaker. He tracks the ball very well.
- Mookie Cooper: Smaller guy but really stocky. When he goes to block a guy, he tries to knock him out. He’s got skill-sets through the roof. Tracks the ball well. Provides mismatches.
- Gee Scott: Big body. Great blocker. Good speed. Tracks the ball well. He’s really physical and can make plays downfield.
- Julian Fleming: He runs really well, very fast. He has rally great ball skills. He plays in a Wing-T offense so hopefully his expectation for targets is low. Great blocker. He hasn’t had a lot of experience with route running.
- The recruiter term rubs me the wrong way. It’s not a business. These are young men who are trying to find a school to play football. And find a coach they relate to. And find a culture that fits them. What I do enjoy is finding young men who want to reach an ultimate goal they’ve dreamed about since they were kids.
- It’s great that we were able to get two quarterbacks and all these talented receivers, who could have maybe gone elsewhere and been the guy. They want to come here and compete with the best and get better together.
- K.J. Hill’s legacy is really unselfish. If you pull him out of the receivers room, we are not as talented as a group. His legacy will show how the younger guys follow in his footsteps.
- The career Jaxon Smith-Njigba had in high school is profound. He’s a very good, very productive player. It’s great to see him have success. To see him carry himself the right way is the most impressive.
- With Mookie Cooper, I wasn’t like, ‘where’s my short guy?’ It’s more about catch radius than height anyway. There is a lot more that goes into it than height. It’s more about his willingness to block and skill-set. You’ve got to be able to do it all.
- For Mookie, changing schools and being ruled ineligible was difficult. But he didn’t take any hits this season, so he should be fresher. He’s a stud. I can’t wait to have him here.
- College football is a crazy, crazy world and it’s always getting crazier. I have a strong passion for Ohio State. I don’t know what would get me out of the city unless I’m not good. My passion lies in the receiving room. I don’t see a situation where I’m leaving. I have no desire to leave.
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