When LSU football hired head coach Lane Kiffin, Kiffin did not retain any member of LSU’s offensive coaching staff. Kiffin brought a slew of his assistants from Ole Miss and tabbed Eric Wolford from Kentucky to lead the offensive line.

That left LSU’s 2025 offensive staff looking for new jobs. One prominent assistant is landing on his feet, with Cortez Hankton set to be Ohio State’s new wide receivers coach. Hankton replaces Brian Hartline, who departed Columbus to be USF’s next head coach.

The news was reported by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Thursday morning.

Hankton was a member of Brian Kelly’s inaugural LSU staff in 2022. LSU hired Hankton away from Georgia, but it was a homecoming for Hankton, a New Orleans native.

In 2023, Hankton oversaw one of the best wide receiver rooms in LSU history. Malik Nabers became LSU’s all-time leading pass catcher while Brian Thomas Jr. also put up All-American numbers. LSU’s offense sputtered in 2024 and 2025, but Hankton remains respected after winning a national championship with Georgia and coaching first-round wide receivers at LSU.

Ohio State is expected to hire Cortez Hankton as its new wide receivers coach, sources tell @CBSSports.

Previously worked at LSU and Georgia and has coached current NFL standouts such as Malik Nabers, George Pickens, Ladd McConkey and Brian Thomas Jr. pic.twitter.com/AMNmRPGiym

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 1, 2026

Hankton now takes over one of the best receiver rooms in the country with Jeremiah Smith set to return for his junior campaign in 2026.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football assistant leaves Tigers for college football powerhouse