Spring Preview: Could Ohio State Receivers Be Deeper This Year?

Overview

The Buckeyes return the best player in college football in sophomore Jeremiah Smith. Junior Carnell Tate is set for a big year as a top-two target for an eventual starting quarterback. Third-year slot receivers Brandon Inniss and Bryson Rodgers are poised for bigger roles. Six freshmen-eligible players round out what is a talented but top-heavy room.

Scholarship Roster

Carnell Tate, Jr, 6-3 191
The veteran of the group is a very strong candidate for a 1,000-yard season this year.

Brandon Inniss, rSoph, 6-0 203
Former five-star recruit is all energy, and will now get to burn off more of that energy on the field.

Bryson Rodgers, rSoph, 6-2 185
Can play both inside and outside but receivers coach and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline likes him best in the slot.

Jeremiah Smith, Soph, 6-3 215
See: Google

Mylan Graham, rFr, 6-1 185
The buzz is piling up for the former five-star recruit, but played in just four games last season.

Damarion Witten, rFr, 6-4 215
Big receiver loaded with potential who is still mastering his craft. Only played in one game last year.

Quincy Porter, Fr, 6-3 200
Add him to the list of former five-star receivers signed by Brian Hartline. Big and athletic and a problem after the catch as well.

Bodpegn Miller, Fr, 6-4 196
A high school quarterback with size and speed who is still learning the position, but he’s a quick study.

De’zie Jones, Fr, 6-0 180
Slot receiver dynamo who is an advanced route runner.

Phillip Bell, Fr, 6-2 195
Could be an inside or outside option for the Buckeyes down the road.

For Starters

Slot receiver Emeka Egbuka is gone and he takes his Ohio State career record for receptions along with him. Starters Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are back and they will be the best duo in the nation. Smith was the Big Ten Receiver of the Year last year as a true freshman. He finished with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. As the Buckeyes’ “third receiver” last year, Tate caught 52 passes for 733 yards and four touchdowns.

New Additions

Brian Hartline signed four receivers in the 2025 recruiting class. Quincy Porter is out of Bergen Catholic in New Jersey. He is ranked the No. 5 receiver in the class. Phillip Bell is out of Mission Viejo California and ranked the No. 35 receiver in the nation. Bodpegn Miller played quarterback at Ontario High School in Mansfield, Ohio. He threw for 2,216 yards as a senior and nearly rushed for another 2,000 yards as well. De’zie Jones amassed more than 3,000 yards receiving in his career at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, New Jersey. He is ranked the No. 51 receiver in the class.

Spring Depth Chart

4	Jeremiah Smith
81	Damarion Witten
NA	Quincy Porter
NA	Bodpegn Miller

17	Carnell Tate
5	Mylan Graham
NA	Phillip Bell

Slot

11	Brandon Inniss
13	Bryson Rodgers
NA	De’zie Jones

What’s The Latest

Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss are the new leaders in the receivers room, which means they’ll be passing on what they learned from Emeka Egbuka, who passed on what he learned from Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Although, just because he is a sophomore, don’t think Jeremiah Smith won’t also be a leader of this team as well.

Ohio State football Brandon Inniss Buckeye — Brandon Inniss

Expectations

Expect Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith to have a bit of a light spring, which means plenty of work for everybody else. Redshirt freshmen Mylan Graham and Damarion Witten will have increased work on the outside, which will help both of them make progress this spring. No Emeka Egbuka means there will be as many reps as Brandon Inniss and Bryson Rodgers can handle. This is a spring for development, especially at the receiver position.

Question Needing An Answer

Can any of the freshmen make some waves this spring? In the past, players like Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jeremiah Smith all stood out in their first spring camps. Those are unfair expectations for any freshman, but all three of those players exceeded their lofty expectations. So perhaps the better question is whether any of the true freshmen can exceed expectations this spring. If so, then that would be a good sign for increasing the depth this season.

Breakout Candidate

Mylan Graham did not enroll until last June, so he’s still working on completing his first full year as a Buckeye. He has made up for lost time and Brian Hartline is not hiding how proud he is of the progress that Graham is making. Former cornerback Denzel Burke was praising him recently as well for his quickness, hands, releases, and catch radius. Graham didn’t play much last season, but he’s about to show that none of it was wasted time.