Off Campus Made A Major Change To This Character’s Age From The Books

By your second — or third, or fourth, or [redacted] — viewing of Off Campus, you start to wrestle with the big questions. Where are the girls getting their bras? Why wasn’t I cool like that in college? And crucially... what other songs are on Hannah’s “crushing” playlist?

Recently, fans have been speculating about another detail: the ages of the Off Campus characters compared to their book counterparts. While it might not seem like particularly essential background info, their years in school play a subtle but important role in their love stories and the show’s trajectory. As creator Louisa Levy shared with podcaster Liz Duff, “I made the choice early on to do one semester per season, to stretch out time a little bit. But it did require a little flexibility with the timeline. We did make Tucker the youngest instead of the oldest, to buy ourselves a little time.”

Indeed, as Off Campus author Elle Kennedy revealed in a behind-the-scenes snap of the Briar University Hawks roster, Tucker is a sophomore on the show. Garrett and Logan are both juniors, while Dean is a senior. (It tracks that he’s the oldest of the bunch, because he turns 22 at his birthday party in Season 1.)

Hannah and Allie begin the Off Campus books as juniors, which appears to be unchanged in the show. And while next season will focus on Dean and Allie, it’s also set to introduce Logan’s future love interest, Grace, whom readers first encounter as a freshman at Briar University.

While the characters may be in college on the show, most of the Off Campus cast is actually in their mid-to-late 20s — with the exception of 19-year-old Ella Bright, who plays Hannah. The actor addressed fans who were unsure about the age gap during an appearance on the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast, explaining that she had “more than enough information and knowledge and understanding of what this role required” going into the show.

“There was never a question that I wouldn’t want to do this,” she continued. “I get people’s concern, but also not once did I feel left out from being younger than everybody. We’re all such a family, and everyone was just more than perfect, and I couldn’t be more comfortable on set with these people ... like, I’m good. I’m completely good.”