There are times when Ohio State’s wide receiver room under Brian Hartline can feel like a factory.
Players enter and turn into stars within two years. Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka are all examples of this. Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith could be in line to be the next out-wide weapons to break out within two seasons under Hartline’s tutelage.
Lying beneath those stars in the Buckeyes’ "Zone 6" is redshirt sophomore Kojo Antwi. In two seasons at Ohio State he’s logged just 32 snaps that weren’t on special teams, only five of them coming in 2023.
That’s not a fact he’s hanging his head about, however.
“Everybody's different,” Antwi said on Aug. 9. “Everybody has a different timetable of how they develop and stuff, and I feel like I'm at that little inch spot, like right there. So I'm just going to keep developing and keep learning from the older guys like Emeka and stuff.”
The last remaining bastion of an otherwise forgotten – at least around Ohio State – 2022 wide receiver recruiting class, Antwi has embraced a role as a special teams contributor and mentor to younger receivers as he tries to find the field on offense in Columbus.
“I’ve been very impressed with Kojo Antwi,” Ryan Day said on Thursday. “In special teams; he’s run good routes. He’s become very accountable. I just like his work ethic. He’s changed his body, he’s changed his life, he’s changed his habits. I’m proud of the preseason that Kojo’s had and we really need him to be a guy that can help us this year.”
While it’s easy to fall behind on the depth chart when no less than three five-star prospects are in front of you, Kojo Antwi is a talented player in his own right.
A four-star prospect out of Lambert High School in Suwanee, Georgia, Antwi was the No. 151 overall recruit and No. 26 receiver in the recruiting class of 2022. He signed the dotted line to come to Ohio State with three other four-star wideouts in his class, Kaleb Brown, Caleb Burton and Kyion Grayes. Those three have all transferred elsewhere with no significant impact made on the field in Columbus.
“It definitely feels weird,” Antwi said. “It was four of us, like those were my guys. And they obviously made the best decision for them, and I obviously made the best decision for me staying here.”
Grayes was the most recent to leave, departing for Cal this spring. What kept Antwi around was the promise of a role in 2024. Not necessarily as a high-impact receiver, but as a depth piece in the wings who could help coach up the younger crowd.
“Coach Hartline and what he preached to me, he told me that I could possibly have a big role this year,” Antwi said. “With JJ coming in and stuff like that, I have to teach the young guys. So I just felt like me staying here to develop another year and trying to work on my mechanics and trying to help the young guys was probably the best decision for me.”
Antwi is eager to get out on special teams and feels it’s crucial to any player's development. Lots of great Buckeye skill talent made their first marks flying down the field on kickoff or serving as a punt coverage gunner.
“Best players play special teams, so I feel like if I have a role in special teams then I feel like I'm trusted to also take on other jobs and stuff like that on the offensive side of the ball,” Antwi said.
Antwi noted that it’s been the "best" preseason camp of his career to date, feeling as though his first two campaigns were just "development" so that he can take his most serious strides yet in year three. With that comes an added leadership responsibility, because even if a five-star freshman the caliber of Smith seems to have the world at his fingertips, veteran guidance from teammates can be vital for a player trying to acclimate to college.
“I was a really quiet guy last year because I was still trying to learn my way around,” Antwi said. “But I feel like I'm more confident in this playbook and this offense, so whenever JJ is asking me a question, I feel like I know the answer and I can just give it to him. So I feel like I've really taken on that role of being a leader.”
“Whenever JJ is asking me a question, I feel like I know the answer and I can just give it to him. So I feel like I've really taken on that role of being a leader.”– Kojo Antwi on stepping up as a leader in 2024
None of that is to say Antwi isn’t working his way into what he hopes is a meaningful receiving role, be it this year or next. He said “consistency” will be the main key, his number one objective is to eliminate as many mistakes from his game as possible.
“I feel like there is a sense of urgency to get on the field and try and take that big step,” Antwi said. “I feel like everybody feels like three years and done is the ultimate thing, but like I said, everybody has a different type of development. So that's why I'm taking it day by day.”
As Ohio State continues building depth behind Egbuka, Tate, Inniss and Smith for 2024, Day has enjoyed the on- and off-field strides Antwi has taken as he bides his time and waits to shine.
“I see some things in him that are pretty special,” Day said. “And I’m hoping that we can continue to build on that.”
