Ohio State’s unproven OC could be the perfect head coach candidate for Penn State

Penn State’s pool of head coaching candidates has largely been confined to proven Power 4 head coaches, with Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, a Penn State alum, at the top of the list. However, Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has reportedly emerged as a candidate for the job, and though he’s unproven and inexperienced, he could be the perfect fit. 

According to Nittany Sports Now’s report on Monday, Hartline is being considered for the job by Penn State brass. 

Brian Hartline is the elite recruiter Penn State needs to battle the Buckeyes

The 38-year-old is in his first season as Ryan Day’s offensive coordinator, elevated from his role as wide receivers coach after Chip Kelly left Columbus for the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s led an elite offense this season, though it’s not necessarily clear the division of labor between himself and Day, a longtime offensive play-caller who was Urban Meyer's OC before taking the reins of the program. 

Regardless of his play-calling prowess, the success of Ohio State’s offense is inextricably tied to Hartline because of his dominance on the recruiting trail. The Ohio State alum was key in the recruitment of Jeremiah Smith and the development of the Buckeyes’ elite wide receiver room, which has routinely wrecked Penn State and the rest of the Big Ten. 

Since Hartline took over as the wide receivers coach in 2018, his second year on the staff after a seven-year NFL career, no program has churned out elite wide receivers like Ohio State. Five Buckeyes wide receivers have been selected in the first round of the last four NFL drafts: Garett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka, the early favorite to win offensive rookie of the year honors. 

Hartline will send another to the first round this year in Carnell Tate, and Jeremiah Smith could be the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, the first year he’s eligible. 

Year in and year out, Ohio State attracts five-star wide receivers because of Hartline’s ability, not just as a recruiter, but as a developer at the position. 2025 five-star Quincy Porter Jr. and 2024 four-star Chris Henry Jr. are the next in the pipeline. 

Penn State, meanwhile, has struggled mightily to attract and develop talent on the outside, but that one position is not the only reason to consider Hartline for the job. If he can recruit wide receivers as a wide receivers coach, it’s a safe bet he can recruit an entire roster as a head coach. And it wouldn’t hurt to have an elite group of pass-catchers, either. 

To compete with Ohio State, Penn State needs to recruit like Ohio State, which is a tall task. James Franklin was largely fired because of his 1-10 record against the Buckeyes, but for all his successes on the recruiting trail, at no point in 11 years did he have the more talented roster heading into that game. His game management was never perfect, and with no experience, Hartline’s may not be either, but talent covers up those issues, and Hartline has a knack for recruiting it.