Ohio State self-reports four minor NCAA recruiting violations in football
The Ohio State athletic department has self-reported four minor NCAA violations in football since last summer, according to a document obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request.
The infractions, which occurred over a period of five months, all involved recruiting and ranged from contacting a player before he entered the transfer portal to providing a high school player with a photo edit following a visit.
They were deemed Level III, considered isolated or limited in nature and the least severe level under the NCAA’s structure, resulting in mild penalties. Only one of the four violations led to further action by the association after Ohio State took measures in the immediate aftermath.
Schools are required to regularly report rules violations to the NCAA in order to remain in compliance.
OSU reported another minor violation in football earlier last year after it used a blocking sled during a strength and conditioning workout in February, a time when they are barred from using equipment specific to the sport.
Here's a breakdown of the latest violations in the order in which they were reported to the NCAA.
Impermissible contact with transfer
An assistant coach called a player before he appeared in the transfer portal in a violation submitted to the Big Ten and NCAA on Aug. 18.
The player had posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, about his intention to put his name in the portal, but coaches can be in touch only once a prospect is in the portal, an online database that serves as permission for programs to contact prospective players.
“Once he learned that the (student-athlete) was not contactable, he ceased communications until the SA entered the NCAA Transfer Portal,” the report read.
It led Ohio State to suspend recruiting activities for a week and reduce its in-person days and official visits by four and three, respectively.
The assistant also met with athletic director Gene Smith, and the school provided the rest of the staff with a letter of education on tampering and the newly implemented transfer windows. Neither the assistant nor player was identified.
Provided photo edit a violation
When Ohio State hosted a recruiting event known as “SummerFest” on July 28, it drew dozens of high school prospects to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Those included Chris Henry Jr., one of the top wide receivers in the class of 2026 who was entering his sophomore year at Withrow High School in Cincinnati and committed to the Buckeyes while on the visit.
Toward the end of the event, Brian Hartline, the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, provided Henry’s legal guardian with an edit that was taken by the creative staff as part of a photo shoot.
The report noted that Hartline and the guardian, former NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, had a pre-existing relationship. Both played in the NFL at the same time.
But those materials cannot be given to prospects and their families until they are juniors in high school.
Hartline, who reported the violation to the school’s compliance office the following day, was prohibited from sending recruiting materials to prospects for a week, and the rest of the staff was kept from supplying materials to Henry for two weeks.
Booster contact with recruit before game
On the sideline before a game at Ohio Stadium in September, two unnamed boosters took a picture with a recruit and shared it on a social media website.
The post was deleted after a staff member in the athletic department noticed it during the first quarter.
The exchange between the boosters and recruit, whose name was redacted in the report, is prohibited as contact between schools and recruits and their families can “be made only by authorized institutional staff members,” according to the NCAA’s rulebook.
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Rules education was provided to the boosters as a result, and one of them was precluded from receiving a pregame sideline pass for the following two games. The staff responsible for distributing sideline passes also received education, though they had not facilitated the interaction.
After Ohio State reported the violation on Sept. 19, the NCAA added another penalty by eliminating two in-person recruiting days.
Social media violation
A staff member commented on social media last month in response to a verbal commitment made by a transfer, believed to be Caleb Downs, the All-America safety from Alabama.
“Great News!!” they wrote, reposting an announcement.
It was in violation of NCAA rule 13.10.1.1, a bylaw that prohibits schools from commenting publicly about a recruit until he signs an aid agreement.
The report does not name the transfer, but it noted the date of his commitment was Jan. 19 and that he had entered the portal two days earlier, a timeline that aligns with Downs’ recruitment. No other transfer had committed to the Buckeyes on that date.
The post was later deleted at the request of the school’s compliance office, and Ohio State provided the staff with education related to social media and recruiting.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football reports NCAA recruiting violations. What's next?
