The rich get richer.
We've come to expect this from Brian Hartline. Ohio State has once again added one of the nation's top wideouts and a player that was right at the top of the priority list.
The Kojo Antwi commitment is one of Hartline's most impressive wins. The four-star plays in the heart of SEC country in Suwanee, Georgia and was being chased by all of the southeast powers. He has family ties to the state of Texas, which made the Aggies one of the top contenders, and the in-state Bulldogs were also in hot pursuit.
Hartline targeted Antwi early on and made him one of a handful of priorities at the position. We look at the Buckeyes' latest commitment and what it means for the 2022 class.
On the Field
At 6-foot and 190 pounds, Antwi is a well-built wideout who primarily lines up on the outside for the Lambert program. Much like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka, he's got the skill set to line up anywhere in Ohio State's offense. We've seen the Buckeye wideouts move around a bit in recent years, and Antwi's versatility should allow for much of the same if needed.
His highlight tape shows a wideout who's capable of doing a little bit of everything. He's got the speed to get behind defenders and beat them deep, turn screen passes into big plays, and uses his strength to fight through press-man coverage. Antwi also has exceptional hands and some impressive burst. Back when he was first offered a scholarship by the Buckeyes, he said that Hartline had told him he's an "explosive" player which is part of the reason they planned to "recruit me hard because he thinks I would thrive there."
He's really got all of the tools you're looking for in a wide receiver prospect, which explains why he was so high on Hartline's list. He even went as far as to call Antwi an hour and 15 minutes before the Ohio State-Clemson game kicked off.
“He was telling me that I’m a big priority, that I’m the one that he wants and stuff like that. He’s always fired up when he’s talking to me and in a good mood and stuff like that,” Antwi said earlier this year. “Coach Hartline is a great dude. He recruits the best, and he’s one of the best receivers coaches in the country. Just trying to be a part of that, you know?”
Antwi played 10 games as a junior in 2020. He recorded 44 catches for 795 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s good for over 18 yards per catch and certainly says a lot about his big-play capabilities. He's a fast, explosive wideout who also happens to be a standout in the classroom.
2022 WR Kojo Antwi (@Kojo_Antwi2) putting on a SHOW tonight. Takes this screen pass to the house.
— Matt DeBary (@MattDeBary) November 14, 2020
VERY impressive so far in the first half. Longhorns up 14-0 with two Antwi TDs.
A top #UGA target. pic.twitter.com/SqNagHzJ8k
In the Class
The fourth wide receiver commitment for Ohio State's 2022 class, Antwi should be the final piece of Hartline's puzzle. He joins five-star Caleb Burton and four-stars Kyion Grayes, and Kaleb Brown to form the nation's top group at the position. They're all ranked as top-151 prospects, and after Grayes' showing at The Opening 7v7 Invitational, he's set to rise even higher in the rankings.
The Buckeyes landing the nation's top group of pass-catchers is becoming an annual theme.
In 2020, Hartline reeled in four top-100 players in Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr. and Mookie Cooper. In 2021, he secured five-star Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jayden Ballard, all of whom were top-100 prospects. Now in the 2022 class, he has finished his work by the first week of July and can move on to working primarily on the 2023 receiver prospects.
Also, this latest pledge means the Buckeyes are shored up in the 2022 class at quarterback (Quinn Ewers), running back (Dallan Hayden), wide receiver (Burton, Grayes, Brown, Antwi) and tight end (Bennett Christian, Benji Gosnell). The priority on that side of the ball is now all about the offensive line where the coaches are seeking to find reinforcements along with four-star Lakota West commit Tegra Tshabola.
