The Ohio State Buckeyes have reportedly hired a former SEC standout coach to become the program's next wide receivers coach in 2026.
After a heartbreaking upset in the 2025 College Football Playoff quarterfinals, the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day are now beginning to fill out the team’s coaching staff for the 2026 season.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Ohio State is reportedly set to hire LSU Tigers’ wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, Cortez Hankton, to be the next wide receivers coach for the program.
Hankton, a former standout wide receiver at the college level, has slowly climbed his way up the coaching chain since 2012. After spending six seasons between Dartmouth and Vanderbilt, he would eventually become the wide receivers coach for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2018. And after one season, he would take over as the team’s passing games coordinator in addition to his positional coach duties.
In 2022, Hankton left Georgia for LSU to reclaim the same position with his new program. With two seasons under former head coach Brian Kelly, the young coach would be promoted to the co-offensive coordinator position in 2024.
Throughout his time with the Tigers, Hankton played a large role in the development of multiple NFL-caliber wide receivers. This includes New York Giants’ Malik Nabers and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. Hankton also coached both Dallas Cowboys’ George Pickens and Los Angeles Chargers’ Ladd McConkey during his time with the Bulldogs.
With his incredible resume, it’s clear that Hankton was the obvious choice to take over for the Buckeyes’ former wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who recently accepted an offer to become the next head coach of the USF Bulls.
Hartline was easily one of the best recruiters and developers of wide receivers at the college level, with stars Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Jeremiah Smith being the most notable names. Since 2022, the former Ohio State standout receiver had at least one wide receiver selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, making his shoes hard to fill for Ohio State.
However, the hiring of Hankton should be considered a huge success for Day and the rest of the coaching staff, as his track record speaks for itself. The Buckeyes are set to roll out two young receivers next season in Mylan Graham and Quicy Porter, which means Hankton will be tasked with preparing the duo for 2026.