Brian Hartline has been around the block a few times as Ohio State’s wide receivers coach and key assistant coach. Now, he’s entering a season with another deep position room but one that’s not as veteran as other versions in the past.

On Friday, Hartline admitted none of his room is currently “game ready” but continues to work hard throughout training camp. One good aspect, and critical component to the fall, that Hartline sees is an elite defensive back group to help get his receivers ready.

Hartline could not avoid the “iron sharpens iron” cliche but felt it was the best term for what is going on in Columbus throughout training camp. He described that back and forth between the two position groups as critical with the offense developing a number of new faces for the season ahead.

“I think part of coming to Ohio State is iron on iron — iron sharpens iron. And that’s a cliche statement, but it’s really true. It’s two-fold,” said Hartline. “It’s the DBs you go against every day and the guys in your (position) room. You can’t have a bad day. The combination of those things is critical.”

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Who stands out?

Emeka Egbuka is the surefire leader in Ohio State’s WR room this fall. A true veteran from the 2021 recruiting class, Egbuka was ascending entering the 2023 season before injury struggles derailed his season.

It’s safe to say Hartline has no concerns about Egbuka, but the rest of the players in the room are still trying to prove themselves. The good news is 5-star freshman Jeremiah Smith continues to draw rave remarks.

According to Hartline, Smith is the first freshman “Iron Buckeye” of his coaching tenure. Smith still has areas where growth is required, but Hartline believe the tools and work ethic Smith possesses give the wideout a great shot at contributing.

“Every guy comes in, they’re all different, they’re all on their own path. I would say some gotta grow here, others gotta grow there… He has a lot of tools, he works extremely hard,” described Hartline. “And I will say this: we’ve ever had an Iron Buckeye from coach Mick as a freshman definitely since I’ve been here.”

Another player Hartline specifically referenced is sophomore Carnell Tate. After seeing some action as a true freshman, Hartline says the Buckeyes “can play Carnell anywhere.” He also touched on Tate’s ability to learn from others with clean mechanics and some of the toughest hands on the team.

Last season, Tate had 18 catches for 264 yards and a touchdown. It’s also possible Tate is one of the major X factors for the Buckeyes.

Egbuka and Smith have long been expected to play key roles this season. Tate, listed at 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds, is likely in line as the other player in need of a big season to boost the offense.

The good news, as Hartline laid out, is that Ohio State’s defensive backs will also push the receivers to be great. It’s possible the toughest matchups for Ohio State’s receivers this season will come against the Buckeye defense, and that will serve everyone well when the regular season kicks off.