Ohio State’s newest wide receiver commitment was instantly hooked on the culture Ryan Day and Brian Hartline have established in Columbus.
Four-star 2026 Texas wideout Brock Boyd visited campus on March 18 and surveyed the Buckeyes’ spring practice, and came away smitten by the leadership OSU’s wide receivers displayed.
“Coach Hartline and coach (Devin) Jordan didn’t really have to talk to any receivers, it was really the starters that carried them through practice,” Boyd told Eleven Warriors. “Brandon (Inniss) and Jeremiah Smith were taking charge and taking action. Seeing that, that really speaks to who they are.”
Boyd was committed to TCU at the time, but seeing the Buckeyes in action made him rethink his decision.
“Everyone talks about their pedigree of wide receivers and it kind of goes without saying,” Boyd said. “That’s something that always drew me to Ohio State. But I think what did it for me was seeing how hard they worked and how detail-oriented they are. They’re a complete group from top to bottom.”
Following his visit to Columbus, the 6-foot-2, 183-pound Boyd sought guidance from his brother Brady, a fellow wideout who played three collegiate seasons at Texas Tech and will spend his senior season at Utah State. The elder Boyd encouraged his younger brother to choose Ohio State, given its developmental track record.
“When I told him what they were telling me and where I was on their board and everything, he told me that he would (pick OSU),” Boyd said. “That was kind of like the last box I had to check. Everyone says what they’re going to do, but he was telling me ‘Look at the past and what they’ve actually done. Not what they’re going to do but what they’ve actually done.’ When I put that in perspective, they’ve done everything that they told me they’re going to do.”
After many conversations and prayers, I would like to announce that im committing to Ohio State. Thank you TCU for all that youve provided for me. I enjoyed building relationships with the entire staff. lets get it!! @ryandaytime @brianhartline @CoachJordan82 @coachrdodge pic.twitter.com/CcjpDMBpKS
— Brock Boyd (@BrockBoyd_2) April 15, 2025
Boyd flipped from TCU to OSU on Tuesday, nearly a month after he visited OSU. He’s already embracing being a Buckeye, scheduling an official visit for June 20. He said he hopes to meet fellow wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. on that trip and added he only plans on taking an official visit with OSU this summer.
Hartline’s reputation as a stout recruiter and developer is widely known to prospective recruits at this point, and that’s no different for Boyd, who lauded Hartline’s tendency to be a straight shooter even if the message isn’t always “what you want to hear.” But the Texas product is also intrigued by playing for Hartline considering he’s now OSU’s offensive coordinator.
“I think it’s great,” Boyd said. “Some places you’ll see a different offensive coordinator than the receivers coach and they’ll butt heads about certain things. But I get to learn directly from the offensive coordinator so I know it’s going to be authenticated and you know they’re going to throw the ball a lot more because they’re going to want his guys to succeed. That’s going to cause us to throw the ball a hell of a lot.”
Boyd had a dominant junior season at Southlake Carroll High School, the alma mater of former Ohio State and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. Last year, he recorded 111 receptions for 1,875 yards and 19 touchdowns, helping lead the Dragons to a 15-1 record and a state championship game appearance.
Though the majority of his highlights come from his playmaking ability as a deep threat, Boyd also takes great pride in his route running. Boyd works with a specialized wide receiver trainer in the offseason, David Robinson, who has also trained former OSU players Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr.
“I’d say I can play all over,” Boyd said. “I see a lot of people talking about my film and about me being a deep threat, but people don’t know that I’m working with the best trainer in America, D-Rob. I’m surrounded by the best guy and I’d say I’m pretty polished. You don’t really get to see that on film, but that’s something I bring to the table, I’m a route runner.”
Boyd said he plans on being an early enrollee at OSU next January and is taking summer classes this year to help achieve that goal.
“Playing early is definitely something I want to work towards, but I want to be developed enough to where I can get into those games and hit the ground running and dive right in,” Boyd said. “Playing early is something I want to do, but I want to get developed first to where I don’t have to tiptoe into it and I can just dive right in … I just want to go in and watch every guy in front of me and learn from them. By the time the fall rolls around, I hope to be adjusted to the speed of the game really well because I know it’s a big jump.”
