It was fitting the offer that eventually sealed Malik Hartford’s recruitment came in part from someone who was also involved with his very first Division I offer.
Ohio State safeties coach Perry Eliano was Hartford’s lead recruiter while he was the cornerbacks coach at Cincinnati, the first school that offered Hartford in September 2021. The Buckeyes presented their scholarship opportunity to the four-star 2023 Ohio safety and his family on Jan. 22 when he and his family took an unofficial visit to Columbus, so it’s not as if OSU spent eons of time luring in Hartford to Columbus.