In the midst of his second NFL season, Terry McLaurin was waiting in line at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru when he got a call from Brian Hartline, his former receivers coach at Ohio State. Hartline wanted the Washington Commanders receiver to help him out with a recruit.
“Hartline called me and was like, ‘T, I need you,’” McLaurin told me. “He doesn’t ask for much, so when he called me, I wanted to come through.”
McLaurin made the call, spoke for a few minutes with the recruit, and his wife, Caitlin, was impressed enough that she asked who it was.
“I told her I was talking to the No. 1 receiver in the country, trying to get him to come to Ohio State,” he said.
That recruit was Emeka Egbuka, who chose the Buckeyes, became Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions and is now a standout rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At the time of that recruiting call back in 2020, Ohio State hadn’t had a receiver selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2007. When Egbuka was picked No. 19 overall this past April, it marked four years in a row an Ohio State receiver had gone in the first round.
Today, you’d be hard-pressed to name any college program or position group with more of an NFL presence than Ohio State receivers. A league-high nine of them have caught touchdown passes this season, combining for 28 scores, also the most in the NFL and on pace to surpass the 45 touchdowns they caught in 2024.
And the pipeline isn’t drying up anytime soon.
“Before I committed, I knew Chris Olave was going in the first round and I knew Garrett Wilson was going in the first round. I just wanted to go and be the next guy,” said Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was selected No. 20 overall by the Seattle Seahawks in 2023 and now leads the NFL with 1,041 receiving yards (an NFL record for the most in a team’s first nine games in a season). “Then I had two more behind me. I knew it was going to be a special group, even just coming in as a freshman.”
Garrett Wilson began Ohio State’s four-year run of having a wide receiver selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, while Emeka Egbuka continued it in 2025. Will they extend the streak to five in 2026? (Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The nickname for Ohio State’s receivers room is “Zone 6,” coined by wideout Dontre Wilson in 2014 as a nod to the end zone and the ultimate goal on any play.
“When you say Zone 6, when you say you’re a receiver at Ohio State, we wanted to push that bar and make it special,” Smith-Njigba said in our conversation. “I feel like the young guys have an opportunity. They see where the bar is set, and their job is to push it further. That’s the standard at Ohio State.”
Egbuka, 23, has been immersed in NFL-level talent since before he even got to college. Olave hosted him on a recruiting visit, Wilson recruited him with texts just as McLaurin did by phone, and he and Marvin Harrison Jr. were roommates as Ohio State freshmen. When Egbuka was selected by the Bucs in April, Smith-Njigba was with him at his draft party.
Every generation credits the receivers who came before them. McLaurin, 30, and Buffalo Bills receiver Curtis Samuel, 29, arrived in Columbus together in 2015 and are now the old guard of the active NFL Buckeyes. Samuel says his inspiration was Michael Thomas, a 2016 second-round pick out of Ohio State who spent eight years with the New Orleans Saints and was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
“I haven’t been there in nine years, long time ago, but it’s always nice to see guys come into the league from Ohio State,” Samuel told me. “I’m older, but we’re still holding strong and taking over the league.”
Chris Olave (No. 2), WR coach Brian Hartline (top right), Garrett Wilson (No. 5), Emeka Egbuka (far right, center row) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (second from left, front row). (Photo courtesy of Ohio State’s athletic department)
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The common thread that connects all these receivers is Hartline, a former Buckeyes receiver himself who played in the NFL and returned to Columbus as an assistant in 2017. The 38-year-old is now the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator in addition to coaching receivers.
“He wanted to change the trajectory of receivers at Ohio State,” McLaurin said. “He came in with instant credibility because he’d done it at the highest level. He was a Buckeye and had success, so it was easy to buy into everything he was teaching. He focused on the details. We were learning NFL techniques, NFL releases, learning to be the best college receivers but with an NFL mindset — everything from taking care of your body to studying film to winning 1-on-1s, just being a pro in general.”
Hartline had two 1,000-yard seasons with the Miami Dolphins and can still run a route to show a young player how it’s done. Egbuka said he knows now not to take for granted having a coach who’s played the position he’s teaching.
“I’m not going to name any names, but I have a friend in college — he doesn’t go to Ohio State — but his receivers coach played like fullback or something,” Egbuka told me. “There’s a different type of knowledge when it comes to experiential knowledge. Coach Hart has been through everything we went through, seen all the looks, played at a high level as a WR1. When he’s talking, it’s not like he’s blowing smoke.”
For all the Ohio State pass-catchers who have played in the NFL, the single-game record for most receiving yards by a Buckeyes alum is held by Hartline, who had 253 yards in an overtime game in 2012.
“What people tend to forget is that he’s been in all of our shoes before,” Harrison told me. “He played in the NFL and knows exactly what it takes to be successful. He gave us everything he learned in his NFL journey. Coach Hart put up 200 yards in an NFL game. He can show us: ‘This is what I did.’ He understands what we’re all going through.”
Before becoming Ohio State’s wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline was a standout receiver in the NFL for seven seasons. (Photo credits: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images, Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
At Ohio State’s football facility on Sundays, while the Buckeyes staff reviews game tape from the day before and starts the game plan for the following week, the coaches always have “NFL Red Zone” on in the background. That way, they can sneak peeks when they hear familiar names finding the end zone around the NFL.
“They’re taking some things I used to know and learn and they’re doing it much, much better, because they’re more talented,” Hartline told me. “It’s a cool blend. I get a lot of satisfaction in them being successful at the NFL level.”
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The intersection of the most future NFL receiving talent at Ohio State was in 2021, when Smith-Njigba, Olave and Wilson combined for 34 touchdowns and 3,600 receiving yards. Even before that season began, quarterback C.J. Stroud, who would throw 85 touchdowns in two seasons as the Buckeyes’ starter, was keenly aware of the talent at his disposal.
“We would just go to a field and throw to the receivers and tight ends,” Stroud told me. “We’re just playing catch and running routes, and guys are making one-handed grabs, getting off the line super quick, running great routes. From that point on, I kind of knew this was the place were receivers were really good, naturally. I went to practice, and the guys were doing all the same things.”
C.J. Stroud (center) formed a quick connection with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson (far right) in his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2021. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The group was so talented that Harrison and Egbuka barely played as freshmen. Harrison had 68 total yards in his first 12 games until the Rose Bowl, when Olave and Wilson opted out and the freshman broke out with three touchdowns.
“I was a four-star recruit, which I wouldn’t say is high on Ohio State’s standards of receiver recruiting, so kind of like an underdog,” Harrison said in our conversation. “I tried to prove myself each and every single day, learning from Chris, Garrett, Jaxon. They were the older ones, and me and Mek (Egbuka) were freshmen, just working our way through. It was great. Obviously, it was my first time ever not playing on a team on a week-to-week basis, just sitting the bench a little bit. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, learning from those guys.”
At a position where the most talented players can act like divas, Harrison said he learned humility early on. His college experience started by watching other players have success on the field.
“It teaches you one, that you have to make the best of your opportunities when your opportunities come,” Harrison said, “and two, you have to be competitive, and three, just allowing you to be happy for others, to celebrate others’ success.”
Did this group of receivers realize there were five future NFL stars in one room? The group included Jameson Williams, who left Ohio State after two seasons for Alabama, where he became a 1,000-yard receiver and first-round pick of the Detroit Lions.
“That was the most competitive room I’ve ever been in. Insane, every single day,” Smith-Njigba told me. “We all respected each other and were fans of each other, but we wanted to show the coaches we were that guy. It was awesome, just in practice, how competitive it was. It brought the best out of all of us.”
Jameson Williams (left) was a part of Ohio State’s loaded wide receivers room in 2019 and 2020 before transferring to Alabama in 2021. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
“Everybody worked hard in practice, everybody wanted to win every rep, to see who could put the best on film, and every day we attacked it like that, so that’s how we got to where we are today,” Olave told me.
From there, the run of first-round picks began, with Wilson and Olave going back-to-back at 10th and 11th in 2022, Smith-Njigba going 20th in 2023, Harrison going fourth in 2024 and Egbuka going 19th in 2025.
“NFL teams were coveting Ohio State receivers. It was the talent, but [also] “La preparación y disposición, hasta el punto en que la NFL se siente como si fueras un titular del Día 1, si se te da la oportunidad”, dijo McLaurin. “Es fantástico ver cómo ha continuado el legado de los receptores abiertos de Ohio State Wide U., incluso desde los David Boston, Ted Ginns y Cris Carters. El linaje es tan bueno que ahora es una expectativa. Los muchachos vienen a Ohio State porque quieren ser jugadores de primera ronda”.
Entonces, sobre todo, ¿cuál fue la clave que convirtió a Ohio State en la primera fábrica? ¿Existe una característica común que ha permitido a tantos receptores de Ohio State trasladar su éxito al nivel profesional?
“Yo diría que su naturaleza espiritual”, dijo Hartline. “Son muy competitivos. Todos están muy dispuestos a ser entrenados y quieren ser élite y jugar con la mente. No es sólo físico. Mental [aspect] permitiéndoles desbloquear aquello de lo que son físicamente capaces”.
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Hay suficientes receptores de Ohio State en la NFL ahora que cada uno sabe varias veces durante la temporada que se enfrentará a una cara familiar. Siempre hay un abrazo antes del partido, un recuerdo de los días universitarios y, a menudo, un intercambio de camisetas en el campo después.
Harrison, en apenas su segunda temporada en la NFL, intercambió camisetas con McLaurin, Wilson y le quitará una a Olave y tomará a Egbuka cuando sus equipos se enfrenten en la Semana 13. Cardenales de Arizona El receptor aún tiene que reconocerlo como Smith-Njigba.
“Jax dijo que no podía tenerlo hasta que lo derrotara”, me dijo Harrison recientemente. “Así que estamos trabajando en eso. Espero tener eso de todos para fin de año”.
Lamentablemente, Harrison tendrá que esperar hasta el próximo año. Los Seahawks vencieron a los Cardinals 44-22 en la Semana 10 para barrer la serie de la temporada entre los rivales de la división, dejando a Harrison todavía buscando la camiseta Smith-Njigba.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba y Marvin Harrison Jr. se rieron después de la victoria de los Seahawks en la Semana 10 sobre los Cardinals, pero todavía no hay un intercambio de camisetas entre los dos. (Foto de Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Así como McLaurin ayudó a Ohio State a conseguir a Egbuka, el novato de los Bucs sabe que aunque es el receptor estrella más nuevo de los Buckeyes en la NFL, no será el último. Conoce lo suficientemente bien la sala de recepción actual de Ohio State como para descartar algunos nombres, incluso algunos que todavía están en la escuela secundaria comprometidos a jugar en Columbus el próximo otoño.
“Carnell Tate se está solidificando como el WR1 [in the 2026 draft] En mi opinión”, dijo Egbuka. “Se está volviendo loco. Tuvo 183 yardas hace unas semanas y dos touchdowns la semana pasada. Está trabajando en un caso. Lo que realmente entusiasma a la gente durante dos años es Jeremías Smith. Y detrás de ellos tienes Mylan GrahamTienes a Chris Henry (WR No. 2 en la generación de 2026, según 247 Sports, e hijo del ex receptor de la NFL Chris Henry), que ni siquiera está allí todavía.
“Esto va a continuar. Son como mis hermanos pequeños, así que siempre estoy controlando y asegurándome de que estén bien, mental, espiritual y físicamente. Sé que tienen grandes sueños para sí mismos”.
Al igual que hizo con Egbuka, McLaurin siempre está dispuesto a ayudar con el reclutamiento. Sabe que verá a ese receptor de gira en la NFL.
“Ves muchachos en el campo el domingo y siempre tienes esa conversación”, dijo McLaurin. “Hablé con chicos con los que estuve y con chicos que nunca conocí en Ohio State, y eso habla de la hermandad. Usas esa camiseta, la usas con sumo orgullo. Siempre es amor y es un legado duradero que nunca olvidas”.
Greg Auman es reportero de la NFL para FOX Sports. Anteriormente pasó una década informando sobre las noticias. cazador de piratas dar Bahía de Tampa Los tiempos y el Athletic. Puedes seguirlo en Twitter en @gregauman.
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