Better Know a Buckeye: Quincy Porter's Size Paired With His Do-It-All Ability As a Wide Receiver Will Allow Him to Flourish at Ohio State

In seven years as Ohio State’s wide receivers coach, Brian Hartline has proven himself to be the GOAT of recruiting and developing elite players at the position. Quincy Porter is in line to be the next example of that.

The do-it-all wide receiver ranked among the best wideouts (No. 5 wide receiver, No. 23 overall) in the 2025 class, and the five-star leads a group of four wide receivers this cycle for the Buckeyes.

How He Became a Buckeye

When Ohio State offered Porter on Jan. 20, 2023, he was playing both wide receiver and defensive back for Bergen Catholic. That said, he wanted to be a wideout at the next level but was showcasing his athletic ability on both sides of the ball in high school.

At the time, Porter was the 70th-ranked prospect in the class, but after an impressive close to his high school career at wide receiver, he became one of the top-ranked wideouts in the cycle.

After a few more visits to Ohio State, Porter committed to the Buckeyes on June 14, 2024, the same weekend he was expected to take an official visit to Michigan. Instead of going to Ann Arbor, he made his pledge to OSU a week after taking an official visit to Columbus.

While Penn State tried to make a late push for Porter, including having him visit Happy Valley for the Nittany Lions’ game against Washington last November, the wideout never wavered from his initial decision to become a Buckeye.

"He's definitely going to be my future coach, so being able to play in front of him is big," Porter said of Hartline last September when he attended Bergen Catholic's game at Massillon Washington. "We're speaking a lot, having good conversations."

High School Years

Although Porter didn't appear in any games on Friday nights as a freshman, he ran an 11.61-second 100-yard dash and 23.37 200-yard dash in track.

As a sophomore, Porter caught 35 passes for 686 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. Defensively, he picked off two passes as a defensive back. On the track, he ran a 23.56 200.

The wide receiver continued to improve in his second varsity season, recording 41 receptions for 969 yards with 16 receiving touchdowns as a junior, a season in which Porter was named NJ.com’s Offensive Player of the Year. He also had five interceptions.

Quincy Porter with a 56-yard touchdown reception on fourth-and-4 for Bergen Catholic. pic.twitter.com/c5FLk5AG6X

— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) September 6, 2024

He saved his best season for last, as Porter totaled 57 catches for 969 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games, many of which he was double-teamed or bracketed. He also helped Bergen Catholic win its fourth straight New Jersey Non-Public A state championship.

Quincy Porter with an excellent downfield block. pic.twitter.com/Warog1TMdP

— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) September 6, 2024

Immediate Impact

Even with the departure of Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State's wide receiver room is as loaded as it has been in the Hartline era, a statement that one can make seemingly every offseason in the Ryan Day era.

Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss will take up the top three spots on the depth chart and Bryson Rodgers and Mylan Graham are in line to be their top backups, but Porter has the size and intangibles to compete for a spot on the two-deep as a freshman, especially as an early enrollee.

Long-Term Impact

At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Porter profiles as a terrific outside receiver in OSU's offensive scheme with a limitless ceiling, especially while learning from the likes of Hartline and his peers.

With his frame, Porter will be a reliable red zone target for Ohio State. His size paired with his speed and blocking ability in the run game will make him a tough matchup for smaller defensive backs. Porter's skillful route running allows him to get past defensive backs of similar size and his frame allows him to bully smaller cornerbacks on the outside.

“I think Quincy really is a bigger receiver that is a different style than we've probably had," Day said of Porter in December. "Obviously Jeremiah's big, but Quincy really – we loved his film going into last year. We felt like the game that he had against Chaminade, against Jeremiah's team the year before, was the one that really separated him for us. He really competed well, played well, and then you saw the season he had for Bergen Catholic this year.

“It's a state championship program and he's a big physical guy. And when you look at those guys, you look at where Marvin Harrison Jr. was as a junior and senior in high school, Jeremiah's a little bit different," Day continued. "But those bigger guys, they grow into their bodies and just become stronger and faster. We think all that's going to happen with Quincy. Got a great work ethic, works really hard.”

All of that gives Porter a chance to be the next star wide receiver for Ohio State. Even with so much talent already in the room (and the top-tier wideouts Hartline will continue to bring in), Porter should push for legitimate playing time as early as his sophomore season and by his third season in Columbus at the very latest.

Player Comparison: Michael Jenkins

The former Buckeye compiled 165 catches for 2,898 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons (38 games). His best season came in 2002, when he played a major role in Ohio State's run to a national championship while compiling 61 receptions for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns, including his legendary 37-yard touchdown against Purdue known simply as “Holy Buckeye.”

The 6-foot-4, 214-pound wide receiver was a first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2004 NFL draft. In his nine-year NFL career, Jenkins caught 354 passes for 4,427 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Porter brings a similar skill set and physical attributes to the Buckeyes with his size, strength, route-running ability and speed. If he can deliver in big moments like Jenkins did, his career at Ohio State could be just as successful.