Hartline Makes Himself NFL Draft Eligible

[peeker643]

Per Bucknuts:

It has been rumored for months that Brian Hartline would leave early for the NFL and he made it official on Wednesday. The Ohio State junior wide receiver will give up his final year of collegiate eligibility and will try his hand at the professional ranks. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper told Bucknuts that Hartline is projected as a fourth-or fifth-round pick.

Thank God.

[RCB1948]

Why does one come out early to be a 4th or 5th round pick? Seems like another year is more likely to help than hurt his draft status.

Kind of like the guy. He could have been a big contributor in 2009.

He is probably making a mistake.

[FUDU]

Why does one come out early to be a 4th or 5th round pick? Seems like another year is more likely to help than hurt his draft status.

Kind of like the guy. He could have been a big contributor in 2009.

He is probably making a mistake.

Who knows maybe JT gave him a straight up hing that he would rarely see the field in 2009?

I wish the kid all the best, this is best for him and the university.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I hope this means we see alot more of Posey in 09. The kid is going to be a star.

[jack_tors]

Best news I heard all day. With him off the team, I can return to hoping passes thrown to WR's might actually be caught.

[aoxo1]

Why does one come out early to be a 4th or 5th round pick? Seems like another year is more likely to help than hurt his draft status.

Kind of like the guy. He could have been a big contributor in 2009.

He is probably making a mistake.

Another year is probably doing nothing to help/hurt him. It's not like he is a big, fast, super talented guy who just needs to prove he can put up the numbers everyone thinks he can. He is who he is already.

[Ziner]

Best news I heard all day. With him off the team, I can return to hoping passes thrown to WR's might actually be caught.

Unless they change the rules so you can catch passes on the first bounce, wide reciever should be the least of your worries in the buckeyes passing game.

[Squints]

I hope this means we see alot more of Posey in 09. The kid is going to be a star.

+1. We have our possession receiver next year in Dane S. Let's get these potential home-run hitters on the field to practice and develop with Terrelle.

[Triple-S]

I'd draft him.

I'm a Fed. League/Big Ten Homer, I'll be upfront and admit my bias..Dude grew up near my hometown, and auctually went to my same "mega-church", and my high school team played against him and his brother, seemed like a really nice guy when I saw him at the Christmas Eve, didn't want to bug him because he was hanging with his family.

But he seems like a Brian Brennan who has a slight case of the dropsies, but our WR "coach" Joe Jurevicious could help him out a bit.

We need depth in the recieving corp, BAD, After Braylon, Kellen, and Cribbs, who does Brady have to throw to? Hartline certainly isn't a starter, but that's not why you draft a guy like him, you draft him to rotate in for several plays.

[aoxo1]

But he seems like a Brian Brennan who has a slight case of the dropsies, but our WR "coach" Joe Jurevicious could help him out a bit.

We need depth in the recieving corp, BAD, After Braylon, Kellen, and Cribbs, who does Brady have to throw to? Hartline certainly isn't a starter, but that's not why you draft a guy like him, you draft him to rotate in for several plays.

Right, because the reason he drops passes is because he hasn't had anyone "coach" him on catching the ball all these years.

I don't know what his hands are like, but these guys who drop balls in college go on to become guys who drop balls in the NFL.

A Brian Brennan with a slight case of the dropsies isn't a Brian Brennan. He is a small, slow dude who can't catch.

[peeker643]

But he seems like a Brian Brennan who has a slight case of the dropsies, but our WR "coach" Joe Jurevicious could help him out a bit.

We need depth in the recieving corp, BAD, After Braylon, Kellen, and Cribbs, who does Brady have to throw to? Hartline certainly isn't a starter, but that's not why you draft a guy like him, you draft him to rotate in for several plays.

Right, because the reason he drops passes is because he hasn't had anyone "coach" him on catching the ball all these years.

I don't know what his hands are like, but these guys who drop balls in college go on to become guys who drop balls in the NFL.

A Brian Brennan with a slight case of the dropsies isn't a Brian Brennan. He is a small, slow dude who can't catch.

I watched Brian Brennan get open and get behind NFL DBs. Hartline hasn't shown me the consistent ability to do that in college. Throw in the drops and you've got a UDFA player on Sunday night after the draft has ended.

No offense to the kid. He's getting his degree in June and I wish him the best. But I'm not expecting to watch him on any given Sunday in the future.

Size, speed and hands are what it comes down to. 2 outta 3 are fine if those two are world class. 1 or none outta 3 puts your degree to good use.

[jordan kramer]

this is a sad day... Hartline was always one of my favorites... he shoulda stayed, this kinda hurts Pryor's development not having a veteran wide out like Hartline next year. good luck in the pros though...

[Mcreek]

Great news not only of Hartline leaving but Robiske as well now we are left with one possesion reciever in Sanzbacher who hopefully moves down the deph chart.

I would put Taurian Washington and Posey out wide with Flash Thomas to get speed on the edges and post Stoneburner in the slot to create mismatches. Duron Carter could be the big suprise here with advanced route running skills wich is no shock considering who his dad is. Two other speedsters in Fields and Jackson might make an impact as well.

[boilerdaveb]

Been reported around here that most of his fellow incoming classmates are seniors this year and leaving, and it would have been more difficult being one of the few remaining from his class as he has a redshirt history. He has graduated early, and honestly, probably won't have much better numbers with the "quality" passing game that OSU has coming back. Who am I to blame him for moving on, he is getting married or recently married, and his stock won't likely improve alot next year.

He did quite well for himself when he had a QB who could actually throw the ball occasionally in 2007, and to me, he has done all that OSU asked of him. To say that OSU won't miss him at least in some capacity is just ignorance, but such is message board drivel. I don't place the majority of the blame for this years offensive woes on Hartline, that is for sure. As a fan, I wish him the best of luck.

[osucrazy18]

hellllllooooo deep balls, posey thomas and the great dane will be much better than the slow vets

[jb]

Allegedly overheard by tSV upon Hartline telling him....

"Jacks, jacks, no take backs! And can you go talk to Smalls?"

[Mcreek]

hellllllooooo deep balls, posey thomas and the great dane will be much better than the slow vets

Deep balls to the great Dane? The guy is slower than Hartline.

[waborat]

The only time NFL scouts will even mention Hartline's name is when they're watching film of Beanie and he comes into the picture

[onlyindreams]

He should actually do pretty well at the combine and could raise his stock. He's fast but not quick, which is why he tends to be able to get open on the deep routes but can't get much separation underneath. Pryor missed him a bunch on deep routes this year.

[jordan kramer]

with Sanzenbacher getting a lot more balls next year we get to actually watch him lose all his brain cells as he racks up concussion after concussion

[furls]

Nothing personal against Hartline or Robo. We Buckeyes fans are spoiled by having elite WRs and while Hartline and Robo are adequate, no one will ever accuse them of being guys who should be mentioned with Ginn, Gonzo, Holmes, Gamble, Jenkins, Glenn, Galloway, Boston etc.

The Buckeyes are probably marginally better off in the near future, but will be much better off for it at the end of the year.

[jack_tors]

Best news I heard all day. With him off the team, I can return to hoping passes thrown to WR's might actually be caught.

Unless they change the rules so you can catch passes on the first bounce, wide reciever should be the least of your worries in the buckeyes passing game.

Wait, you mean the ball cant bounce first? I thought that was kinda like a mulligan type thing? Damn...

Seriously though, I am hoping (well praying... daily... to gods of multiple religions) Pryor's arm improves in the off seasons and camps. Was Hartline great? No. Was he terrible? No. Was I a fan? No. Him and Robo just seemed to underachieve in my book and I am more than okay with them leaving.

[jb]

Nothing personal against Hartline or Robo. We Buckeyes fans are spoiled by having elite WRs and while Hartline and Robo are adequate, no one will ever accuse them of being guys who should be mentioned with Ginn, Gonzo, Holmes, Gamble, Jenkins, Glenn, Galloway, Boston etc.

You forgot ken-yon rambo.

IOW - Other than the two Cleveland homeslice kids, you mean the receivers that Cooper used to bring in... Whether the new kids coming up can bring us back up to that national talent level instead of the so-so Ohio kids like Hartline & 'biske who couldn't do the job againt good teams will be a huge sign as to whether the program can come back to national relevance.

[furls]

a huge sign as to whether the program can come back to national relevance.

JB you know better. You and I both know that hyperbole like that just undermines your point. The program is clearly nationally relevant.

Ginn, Gonzo, Holmes, Roy Hall, Posey, and Ray Small are all Tressel recruits. Freddie Lenix and Albert Dukes were also (and they were guys that were supposed to be studs). Some guys work out and some don't. I don't blame Tressel for bringing in Hartline and Robo, they are great 2&3 WRs. Ray Small's continued underachieving hurt, bad. He was supposed to be the #1 guy. Had he kept his shit together and produced on the field the last two years, all of a sudden Robo and Hartline look really good going against a nickel and a #2 CB. Recruiting is hit or miss and there are very few sure things, especially at WR. You never know if the speedy kid who has been getting by with "out-athleting" everyone is going to actually be able to learn the technique to succeed once the talent differential drops. FWIW, that is what was so exciting about Posey, he had exceptional technique coming out of HS and speed. Guys like him and Julio Jones are rare.

The 2004 top 3 WRs were: Early Doucet, Cameron Colvin, and Fred Davis.
The 2005 top 3 WRs were: Derrick Williams, Patrick Turner, and Fred Rouse.

Even with can't miss guys you can still miss.

Tressel's 08 and 09 classes are built around speed on the outside (with the exception of Duron Carter). Chris Fields, James Jackson, Corey Brown, Posey, and Lamaar Thomas all bring a lot of the same skills to the table, so I think it is pretty obvious that JT learned that he needs some speed out there. I guess the new philosophy is if you throw enough scholarships at it, something is bound to stick (similar philosophy with OL, 8-9 scholarships in the last 2 years).

[davemanddd]

Why does one come out early to be a 4th or 5th round pick? Seems like another year is more likely to help than hurt his draft status.

Kind of like the guy. He could have been a big contributor in 2009.

He is probably making a mistake.

yeah, like brian robiskie made the right choice coming back for another season. i don't think so. even as a 4th or 5th round pick, hartline will still make more money next year than he would if he stayed in college. well, you would think so, but you never know how much these guys get paid under the table by boosters and what-not. hee-hee!!!

[tribefan333]

Hartline and Wells are both leaving early? Could OSU players in 2009 make any more ill advised choices?

Up this point just about every OSU junior to leave early the last couple of years looked like a good idea...but these two? No.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Could OSU players in 2009 make any more ill advised choices?

Is Ray Small coming back? He is capable of a multitude of ill advised choices.

[gnati]

Nothing personal against Hartline or Robo. We Buckeyes fans are spoiled by having elite WRs and while Hartline and Robo are adequate, no one will ever accuse them of being guys who should be mentioned with Ginn, Gonzo, Holmes, Gamble, Jenkins, Glenn, Galloway, Boston etc.

You forgot ken-yon rambo.

IOW - Other than the two Cleveland homeslice kids, you mean the receivers that Cooper used to bring in... Whether the new kids coming up can bring us back up to that national talent level instead of the so-so Ohio kids like Hartline & 'biske who couldn't do the job againt good teams will be a huge sign as to whether the program can come back to national relevance.

Not to put too fine a point on it (in my best TMBG's voice...)

But that list you site of receivers that your boy Coop used to bring in...half of them were brought in by TSV.

Carry on.