Back in July last year, Brysen Wright stepped onto Ohio State’s campus for a visit, less than a week removed from a groin injury. It did not matter. The elite wideout still turned heads at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, giving the Buckeyes another reason to push for him and try to bring him under their banner. But now, with his recruitment moving forward, Ohio State’s position in the race to land Wright looks less secure.

On August 23, The Rivals’ YouTube channel brought in their Director of Recruiting, Chad Simmons, to discuss the up-and-coming stars of the football world. During the conversation, Simmons gave an update on Brysen Wright’s recruitment, and the news is not good for Ohio State.

“He is that guy for them, on that, that I think, not just the receiver board for ’28, but the Miami recruiting board. You would see Brysen’s name very, very high in that office in Coral Gables, and he knows it. He’ll be there,” said Simmons. “So, yeah, Texas, I think, has some, some buzz around them. You know, Florida’s going to keep going. Ohio State, too, but Miami is that team to beat at this stage for Brysen Wright.”

When Brysen Wright visited the Ohio State campus last July, he participated in some drills. He had the opportunity to interact closely with the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline. Wright was quite impressed with the coach. During his time at Columbus, Hartline helped develop several wide receivers into NFL Draft picks, including five first-round selections. However, he has now moved on to the USF Bulls. 

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There’s no doubt that the Buckeyes are one of the best places for a rising WR. However, Miami has not backed down from the fight, as the Hurricanes appear to have dropped a deal for Wright that’s too big to ignore. Among the schools in contention, Wright considers Miami “one of the top” teams, with Texas, Florida, and Ohio State also in the mix.

“It’s just the relationship with them always being on campus and always reaching out,” Wright said, per the Miami Herald.

Wright also has someone close to him pushing him to commit to Miami: his friend and quarterback Knox Annis, who is already committed to the Hurricanes.

“I’m trying every day,” Annis said, adding that his main pitch thus far has been “we’re doing something special. The offense is going to get him the ball.”

The situation is so grim for the Buckeyes that, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine, Miami has a 31% chance of landing Brysen Wright. However, all is not lost, as OSU still has a chance to recruit him.

The Buckeyes get a fresh opening to steal Brysen Wright

The Miami Hurricanes are certainly a step ahead of Ohio State when it comes to recruiting Brysen Wright, but the window to steal him away is still open. According to Rivals, the Buckeyes could get another chance to bring him under their banner on September 12, when he will be in Austin for a game-day visit to watch Texas take on Ohio State.

This will be Wright’s second visit to Austin, and while Texas has a strong chance of landing the talented receiver, OSU can still make its pitch and sway him in its favor. Ohio State’s status as a WR-U is currently unmatched. Every Sunday, multiple former Buckeye wide receivers make the case for the program as a ideal destination to develop WRs. Even on the 2026 roster, Ohio State has Jeremiah Smith, who is predicted to be selected as a top-5 pick next year.

“All the coaches are very good. All the staff are cool. This is a very good school to be at,” Wright said last year. 

Now, Cortez Hankton has the responsibility to continue what Hartline did for Ohio State. The new WR coach spent four years at LSU and developed first-round NFL draft picks Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Before that, he also had a stint at Georgia.