The team is retaining Ryan Day for the long-term future, and Hartline will be right by his side. This is a huge promotion for a talented recruiter who has been a staple in the Buckeyes wide receiver room. Ohio State has, for a long time, been known for developing some of the best receiving talent in the country, and Hartline has been spearheading most of that.

For Ohio State, it will be bringing in five-star Chris Henry Jr. for the 2026 season, one of the top recruits in the country. He recently reacted to what Hartline brings to his new role, and let’s just say that he is as excited as anyone about the promotion.

Henry Jr. is a four-star commit in the Class of 2026 per 247Sports. He is the No. 3 receiver in the class and the No. 2 player from the state of California. Basically speaking, Henry Jr. could’ve gone anywhere, but he decided to commit to Ohio State. Hartline was, without a doubt, a pivotal reason for Henry Jr. choosing Columbus. While the loss of Kelly isn’t ideal, should Hartline have left if he didn’t get promoted, that might have been a more devasting blow.