Ohio State wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton has already been impressed by the talent in the Buckeye receiver unit.
Tasked with maintaining the program’s tradition of elite wideout play, the former LSU co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach has taken an immediate liking to Ohio State star receiver, two-time first-team All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
When asked what it was like to coach Smith, Hankton called the opportunity “a blessing,” adding that the wideout possesses a strong desire to learn and improve.
“It’s a blessing, I’m grateful and I’m thankful,” Hankton said. “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.”
Smith has been one of the best receivers in college football over the past two seasons, recording at least 75 receptions, 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of his two campaigns with the Buckeyes.
For Hankton, what sets Smith apart from any wide receiver he’s coached is his raw athletic ability, combined with his 6-3, 233-pound frame.
“I’ve been around guys who work at a high level, who are extremely competitive, but what makes him different, he’s probably the most physically-blessed guy that I’ve coached,” Hankton said. “To have his length and size, I mean, he’s almost 230 pounds. One day I was doing a drill with him, and just kind of bumped into him. He damn near ran me over. When you’ve got a guy that’s just a physical freak, and he’s just skilled. I’ll say this plenty of times, it’s truly a blessing to coach him.”
Smith said he has already begun to see growth in his game under Hankton, noting the impact the new receivers coach has had on his development.
“He brings a lot of juice to this program, especially in the receiver room,” Smith said. “He’s just been a big help for all us coming in, all the young guys and me as well, all the veterans, He’s a guy that fits our culture and fits everything that we ask for the receiver coach and blessed to have him on our team.”
Though Hankton didn’t just laud Smith, the Buckeye receivers coach highlighted two of Ohio State’s transfer wide receivers, Kyle Parker from LSU and Devin McCuin from UTSA, as veteran additions to the receiver room.
“KP brings a mindset of physicality, he’s really tough with the football, has a high football IQ and is very versatile. Devin is just a great kid. He’s extremely coachable. He wants to be great and he has elite speed. If you watch this tape, when he gets the ball, he is truly exceptional in terms of accelerating after the catch. So they just added to a group that was already really, really talented.”
Parker caught 31 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns for LSU a season ago, had his black stripe removed at Ohio State’s practice on March 28, while McCuin hauled in 65 passes for 726 yards and eight scores.
Hankton also pointed to former three-star recruit Brock Boyd, the 6-1, 184-pound receiver out of Southlake Carroll, stating that his instincts and football background give him the feel of a veteran wideout.
“As a young guy, he’s truly instinctive, and he truly understands conceptual football. You can tell that he comes from a family. His dad is a high school football coach, and so he comes from a family where they live, eat and breathe football. And so he understands the game like he’s a three-year college student. So he’s been really fun to coach.”
For Hankton, the depth and versatility of the room only reinforce why Ohio State stood out as the right destination.
With a reputation for developing NFL-caliber receivers, the Buckeyes continue to set the standard at the position, which drew Hankton in from the start.
“This is the place to come to,” Hankton said. “That room is loaded over there. So when I got a phone call and had conversations and communication, I could see myself as a fit here. So it’s even better than I would ever have imagined.”
