Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith urges recruits to play for Brian Hartline

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Even if Brian Hartline is no longer the offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is supporting him from afar.

In an interview with I Am Athlete, Smith praised Hartline, now the new head coach at South Florida, for his developmental skills as a receiver coach, even urging Florida recruits to consider playing for him.

“They got a good coach,” Smith said, “So I feel like everybody should go to USF, because that man is going to develop you into a first-rounder.”

Smith also talked about what made Hartline stand out.

“He’s going to challenge you, don’t matter what it is,” Smith said. “…The thing with coach Hartline [is] the little things matter with him: stance and start, the way you get in and out of breaks, he just challenge[s] you to tap into your mind a little bit as well.”

Hartline coached Smith for two seasons and was announced as the head coach of South Florida before the Big Ten championship game. Though taking a backseat from playcalling, Hartline remained with the team until the Buckeyes’ loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith urges recruits to play for Brian Hartline

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