Ohio State Wide Receivers Jaylen Harris, Ellijah Gardiner Reportedly No Longer On Team

Neither Harris nor Gardiner played any snaps for the Buckeyes last season.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Jun 12, 2021 3:13 PM EDT

According to a report from Lettermen Row’s Jeremy Birmingham, Ohio State wide receivers Jaylen Harris and Ellijah Gardiner are no longer with the team.

The news, which could not be confirmed by a team spokesperson, comes just days after the Buckeyes offered a scholarship to Jackson State graduate transfer wide receiver Daylen Baldwin following his workout in Columbus.

A former four-star prospect from Cleveland Heights, Harris caught just five passes for 54 yards during his four-year career at Ohio State. He dealt with an undisclosed injury and was unavailable for every game last season.

Gardiner, meanwhile, was a three-star prospect from Kemp, Texas, who flipped his pledge from Missouri shortly before National Signing Day in February 2017. He recorded just one catch for 10 yards in the 76-5 victory over Miami (Ohio) in 2019 and did not make an appearance last fall.

Both players were listed on the Buckeyes’ spring game roster but neither played in the annual scrimmage. They both would have had two seasons of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted an extra year to all student-athletes amid the coronavirus pandemic, and their departure leaves the Buckeyes with five available scholarships for the upcoming season.

Even so, the wide receivers room remains one of the most-talented units in the country with senior Chris Olave, junior Garrett Wilson and sophomores Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming returning and early enrollees Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jayden Ballard waiting in the wings.

The depth has taken a hit this offseason, though, with Mookie Cooper and Jameson Williams transferring to Missouri and Alabama, respectively, and sophomore Gee Scott Jr. switching to tight end. Given that attrition, the offer to Baldwin makes sense. He’ll take a few other visits before making his transfer decision on June 20.

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