Ohio State's wide receiver group, known for its strength, is undergoing an evolution in 2026 under new coach Cortez Hankton. Hankton is building on the existing culture established by Ryan Day while integrating his own approach. The focus is on embracing brotherhood, tough love, and developing young talent alongside established players like Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss.
Ohio State’s wide receiver room has become one of the program’s defining strengths in recent years, and heading into 2026, that standard isn’t changing — it’s evolving. With a new position coach in Cortez Hankton and a room loaded with both proven production and emerging talent, the Buckeyes are leaning into a blend of continuity and fresh perspective this spring.
Hankton has quickly bought into what already exists inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, emphasizing the culture, brotherhood and “tough love” established under Ryan Day while beginning to put his own imprint on a unit that doesn’t lack for ability. That ability starts with Jeremiah Smith, who is no longer the new face in the room but one of its defining voices. Entering his junior season, Smith is embracing both the spotlight and the responsibility that comes with it, maintaining the same hard-working mentality that fueled his rise while looking to expand his game and lead a younger group.“What Coach Day has done in terms of really creating the culture and the brotherhood, and also coming from a space of tough love, it’s been fun to embrace.”On inheriting Jeremiah Smith: “It’s a blessing. I’m grateful. I’m thankful. He’s a generational talent. But more importantly, he’s a fine young man. He’s a great kid. And he yearns to learn football. He yearns to be coached. And he’s like that every single day. He’s been a sponge. We’ve put a lot on his plate, but he’s handled it well.” Hankton called Smith “probably the most physically blessed guy that I’ve coached.” He’s challenging Smith this offseason to be “more of a student of the game,” to “embrace it all” and to “learn conceptual football.” Hankton said Brandon Inniss has “an infectious personality.” He said Inniss is “a natural leader” and “a captain for a reason.” He added, “The guys are willing to listen and also follow his lead. And he has put it on tape, right? His actions, they have aligned with his words, and it’s good to see.”Hankton said Brock Boyd has impressed him this spring. Hankton said Boyd has physical gifts, toughness and football IQ, which have “helped him catch the eye of a lot of people.” Hankton added, “He’s been really fun to coach.” On Chris Henry Jr.: “Talented, but he’s young, right? Like all of the young guys, they have a lot to learn, but he’s done a good job. And just trying to get him to truly play at a high level with urgency and playing fast, but he’s so efficient and smooth, and he has length and ball skills, but he’s an extremely talented young man. But he still has to improve every single day.” On Devin McCuin: “Devin, man, just a great kid, extremely coachable, wants to be great, but has elite speed. And if you watch this tape, when he gets the ball, he is truly exceptional in terms of accelerating after the catch.”: “To see KP, who was like a brother to Kyren, taking that black stripe off, man, it was really just fun and heartwarming to watch, because I know that dude would be smiling for him. I can see them dancing in the corner and celebrating. And it's days like today that truly let you take the perspective of being thankful and grateful to be in this position to coach.”“I’m still the hardest-working person on the team. All the accolades and stuff I got, I still got a mentality that I’ll always be the hardest-working player on my team, no matter who’s in the league. I was in high school, the hardest-working player on the team. And in the NFL, I’m gonna be the hardest-working player on the team.”Now one of the oldest players in Ohio State’s receiver room, Smith knows younger players look to him for leadership. “It’s pretty crazy how time flies. I’m going into my junior year now. I remember I was just a little freshman out here running around making plays. But now… I’m the oldest guy in the room, so I got to continue to come in each and every day and continue the Ohio State standard as a receiver.” Smith said he wants to improve his football IQ and yards after the catch entering 2026. “Just making guys miss, that’s really it, running through a soft shoulder. I mean, Coach Hank, he does a good job showing me clips and stuff like that about how to run through a soft shoulder and making guys miss. I feel like that’s something ya’ll will see from me a lot this year, making guys miss.” Smith said he didn’t come to Ohio State thinking about breaking records; however, he said the coaching staff has “done a great job of using me in the right way to accomplish those things.” He added: “I’m really grateful to hopefully break them records.” Smith said Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker “fit our program” and “fit our culture.” He said, “I mean, them guys came in, working their mentality, and just been doing things the right way, and just kept their head down and working.” On Chris Henry Jr.: “Chris, I thought I’d never meet somebody that’s more quieter than me. Chris is quiet, he’s so laid back, he’s chill, got that Cali vibe in him. But Chris is another one, just came in, kept his head down, just working.” Smith said Keionte Scott’s pick-six in the Cotton Bowl is motivating him throughout this offseason. He said it’s “always something in the back of my head.” On Brandon Inniss: “This year he’s gonna be the guy. He’s gonna be the one taking that leap this year, and we owe it to him. He’s been here for four years, he know he gotta come in and put in the work as well, but just do or die for him. This could determine if he’d be a first-round draft, so he knows what’s at stake.”With OSU Pro Day Complete and the NFL Draft About a Month Away, Which Buckeye Will Be the Highest Draft Pick?
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