Report: Ohio State Football Self-Reported 4 Level 3 NCAA Recruiting Violations
The Ohio State athletics department has self-reported four football recruiting violations dating back to last summer, according to a report from Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch.
Per Kaufman, those violations are classified as "Level III, considered isolated or limited in nature and the least severe level under the NCAA's structure, resulting in mild penalties."
One of those violations—all of which came within a five-month period between 2023 and early 2024—was an assistant coach calling a player before he officially entered the transfer portal. The player posted on social media that he intended to enter the portal, but he wasn't officially registered when the assistant reached out. That coach ceased communication upon realizing the error.
Per Kaufman's report, the program responded by ceasing recruiting activities for a week and reduced its in-person days and official visits as punishment.
Another violation came when wide receivers coach Brian Hartline provided the legal guardian of recruit Chris Henry Jr.—former NFL quarterback Pacman Jones—with a photo edit after a "SummerFest" recruiting event. Because Henry was not yet a junior, providing him with a photo edit wasn't permissible under NCAA rules.
Hartline reported the infraction to the Ohio State compliance office and wasn't permitted to send recruiting materials to prospects for a week, while the school ceased sending materials to Henry for two weeks.
In the third incident, two boosters took a photo with a recruit in September and posted it to social media, which was later deleted after it was spotted by an athletics department employee. The NCAA responded to that infraction by docking the school a pair of person recruiting days, the only additional punishment it levied in the four violations outside of Ohio State's own actions, per Kaufman.
In the final violation, a staff member responded "Great News!!" to a transfer announcement on social media, a public announcement that is prohibited until a player has officially transferred. The post was deleted and the employee underwent recruiting and social media education.
