The Ohio State Buckeyes are focused on recruiting big time, like always, in the month of June. The current team is taking part in summer workouts as the Buckeyes prepare for a gauntlet of a 2026 schedule. 

Ohio State got a pretty good look at the current team back in the spring with all of the new transfers and freshmen who came in. When it comes to freshmen, wide receivers Brock Boyd and Chris Henry Jr. were the two names who made the most noise. 

Now that we are into the summer, another freshman looks to be impressing for the Ohio State football team.    

Another Ohio State wide receiver is standing out in Columbus 

Brian Hartline brought one last impressive trio of wideouts to Columbus before he went to South Carolina. The second-highest-rated player of those three recruits is now seeing some buzz around his name. 

According to Austin Ward of Lettermen Row, Ohio State freshman wideout Jerquaden Guilford is a standout this June. 

“Multiple sources named Guilford among the top standouts in the OTA-style drills the Buckeyes have had in June, and he appeared to be carrying himself with no shortage of confidence on the outdoor fields in the afternoon,” Ward wrote. “Guilford, Boyd, and Henry have also all been fixtures together during the camp competitions, offering tips to the high-school wideouts, trash-talking defensive backs and just spending time developing a bond with the veteran targets.”

If there was a notion that Ohio State might only have two-thirds of that trio capable of reaching game-ready status this season, the tenor of that conversation has changed in a hurry.”

Guilford had a slow roll into getting things going in the spring, at least compared to the other two freshman wideouts. Guilford missed a couple of key opportunities in the spring game, but it sounds like the 6-foot-3, 185-pound wideout has gotten more comfortable now. More time in Mick Marotti’s strength program has definitely helped the cause. 

Snaps might be hard to come by for Guilford in his first season, so playing special teams could be a key role for him. The former four-star recruit and top player in the state of Indiana sneaking into the rotation shouldn’t surprise anyone though if he earns it. Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuinn, and Kyle Parker are expected to be the top four wideouts this fall. It’s pretty open after that. 

With Hartline gone, it’s a good sign these young wideouts are already coming along just fine before they ever play an actual snap at Ohio State. It’s a testament to what Cortez Hankton is doing so far, and the talent of these three new pass catchers.