Hartline’s heart says Buckeyes
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 By TODD PORTER Repository sports writer
PLAIN TWP. — The closer reality came to fantasy, the more anxious Brian Hartline became. Last weekend, he was at Ohio State’s football camp, including the Buckeyes’ exclusive senior advance camp.
After spending one more night in his bedroom staring at a large poster of Ohio Stadium, Hartline couldn’t take it any longer. Before he went to bed Monday night, he called OSU assistant coach Jim Bollman and said he was ready to become a Buckeye.
He could be the first in the history of recruiting to verbally commit before the offer was official. Hartline expects a package to arrive via FedEx this afternoon. In it will be his scholarship offer from Ohio State.
“I couldn’t wait to commit because I didn’t want this opportunity to pass me up. Throughout the whole process, I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to verbally commit anywhere right away,” said Hartline, who also considered Stanford, Michigan State, Pitt and other Big Ten schools. “It was important for me to get this out of the way and focus on my senior season at GlenOak.
“But this year Ohio State has 12 or 13 scholarships left, and at any given time another guy could verbally commit and kick me out.”
If that had happened, Hartline’s dream would have been shattered. He’s wanted to play football at Ohio State since he was younger. As many colleges do, OSU coaches use the senior advance camp as one final tryout, so to speak, for potential recruits. Hartline performed well. He ran a hand-timed 4.5 40-yard time, he had a 32 1/2-inch vertical jump and finished with a 9-foot broad jump. On his own time, he worked out against Buckeye cornerback and fellow GlenOak graduate Dustin Fox.
Shortly after that workout, Fox called Ohio State coaches and told them to offer Hartline, or “he’s going to sign somewhere else and be beating you guys in a couple of years.”
Hartline is the sixth member of the 2005 recruiting class to verbally commit to the Buckeyes. This is the fifth year in a row a Stark County high school player has committed to Ohio State. High school seniors are not permitted to sign national letters of intent until February.
“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Hartline said. “I can’t wait until the day comes when I get to put on the scarlet and gray and see my name on the back of a jersey. To be a part of a tradition like that will mean so much to me. I’ve got Ohio State pictures, and posters and I have an autographed picture of Dustin Fox that keeps me motivated to know where I’m heading.
“I have pictures of players in my room. You don’t really realize this university wants you to play for them and you can help them win a national championship. I still have to go down there and win a spot. The jury is never done deliberating.”
That is the kind of attitude Hartline used throughout the camp. If a coach told him he was doing a good job, he made sure to watch another receiver catch a pass. If someone gave him a pat on the back, he gave himself a kick in the pants.
“Before the camp, I talked to Coach Dick Tressel and one of the questions I asked him was whether the camp was a big thing. He said it wasn’t a big thing, but it was more of a reassurance for them. Being myself, I still put pressure on myself. Even if they told me I was doing a good job, I tried to keep pressure on myself like I wasn’t doing very well.”
GlenOak head coach Jack Rose compares Hartline’s athleticism to that of Fox. Rose used Fox in many roles in his final high school season. Hartline is 6-foot-3, 175 pounds. Last year, he started the first four games at quarterback. Then Rose moved Hartline’s younger brother Mike to quarterback and Brian Hartline went to receiver. In the final six games of the season, Brian caught more than 40 passes for nearly 600 yards.
He is well aware of the comparisons to Fox, who is likely to be an Ohio State captain this fall. During the OSU camp, Hartline stayed in Fox’s Columbus apartment.
“I do like being compared to him,” Hartline said. “Those are big shoes to fill, but I’m willing to take a stab at it, and try to fill them. He’s an awesome athlete. I’m going to work my butt off, and see how I turn out. It will be interesting.”
Receiver is a tough position to crack at the Big Ten level. The Buckeyes signed three and possibly four receivers (depending on final position assignments) this past fall. There are four others already with spots on the two-deep depth chart who will be on the roster when Hartline arrives in Columbus. In all, Hartline will be the 10th receiver on the roster when he is a true freshman.
“The way I look at it, they have two very good receivers coming in and one may move to defense,” Hartline said. “Santonio Holmes could be leaving. The opportunity is there. I know what people say about Ohio State’s offense. It’s branded as a running offense, and in all fairness, I don’t think it’s that much of a running offense. In the Fiesta Bowl, they threw it 30 times. I see it as a balanced offense.”
Now, Hartline goes from being recruited to being a recruiter. His brother is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the state in two years. He very well could get an offer from Ohio State in two years.
The two brothers could continue their high school chemistry in Columbus.
“I’m going to start recruiting him now,” Hartline said. “That would be awesome. You can’t get much more chemistry than with brothers. Getting him down to Ohio State is a goal now.”
