This Week in Twitter: Brian Hartline Wows the College Football World, Dreams Come True For Malaki Branham And E.J. Liddell, Buckeyes Go Paintballing

By 11W Staff on June 25, 2022 at 2:35 pm
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This Week in Twitter is a look at some of the week's best and most entertaining tweets from Buckeyeland and beyond.

Headlines were not hard to come by in Ohio State athletics during the week that was, and that goes triple for the football program's recruiting efforts. One man in particular deserves the lion's share of credit in that department, as Buckeye wide receivers coach Brian Hartline continued his unprecedented raze through the recruiting trail by landing three elite prospects in consecutive days to start the week.

First it was IMG Academy's Carnell Tate that kicked things off, committing to the Buckeyes as the No. 3 receiver and 28th-rated overall recruit in the class of 2023.

Rumors swirled throughout Tate's recruitment about the potential NIL deals on the table wherever he decided to land, but the 6-foot-2 wideout took to Twitter to dismiss one claim regarding a near eight-figure deal that supposedly brought him to Columbus.

Next it was five-star Florida wide receiver Brandon Inniss who joined the fun the following day, committing to Ohio State as the No. 2 player at his position and No. 18 overall prospect.

Hartline did it again the very next day, earning a commitment from another top-10 wideout as four-star prospect Noah Rogers gave Ohio State a three-peat of sorts by following in the footsteps of Tate and Inniss.

Needless to say, Hartline's efforts – and the spectacle in general – garnered plenty of positive reactions online.

The recruiting efforts didn't stop there for the Buckeyes, though, as Inniss prodded No. 3 overall 2023 prospect Joshisa Trader on social media in an attempt to keep the train rolling.

Even Columbus Blue Jackets' general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen got in on the act, sending a tweet to top offensive line target (and fellow Finland native) Olaus Alinen as the four-star tackle arrived for an official visit at OSU.

While Hartline had most of the fun this week, running backs coach Tony Alford got an up-close-and-personal look at the class of 2024's No. 2 RB as Tate's IMG Academy teammate Stacy Gage camped with the Buckeyes.

Gage may have also been attracted to the spoils afforded to TreVeyon Henderson as the star running back at OSU, given the rising sophomore's trip to Jeff Ruby's at which he treated his entire offensive line to steak dinners.

Also among the high-profile visitors to Ohio State's final camp of the summer was five-star 2024 quarterback and Buckeye commit Dylan Raiola – now the No. 1 player in his class – who impressed many in attendance at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Thursday produced plenty of headlines on the basketball front as well, as Ohio State had two players drafted to the NBA for the first time in 15 years. Malaki Branham went No. 20 overall to the San Antonio Spurs while E.J. Liddell followed suit in the second round, as he was selected 41st overall to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Elsewhere in the world of Buckeye sports, the Ohio State baseball program officially announced new head coach Bill Mosiello, who takes over for longtime head coach Greg Beals.

After nearly three full years, Ohio State saw its trademark bid for the word "THE" approved this week, sparking plenty of jokes and intrigue across social media.

Buckeye tight end Cade Stover was named honorary grand marshal for the Honda Indy 200 in his hometown of Lexington, Ohio, Thursday.

The Ohio State football team blew off some steam with a paintballing trip that saw coaches and players alike participate.

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