A further standout wide receiver from Ohio State is poised to enter the NFL Draft process.
Carnell Tate, a receiver for the Buckeyes, disclosed on Tuesday his decision to declare for the professional draft, where he is widely expected to be selected in the initial round.
At twenty years of age, he is almost certain to be the sixth Ohio State wide receiver chosen in the first round since the 2022 draft, following in the footsteps of Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave. A recent mock draft from Yahoo Sports projects him as the fourth overall pick to the Tennessee Titans, having listed him as the twelfth-best prospect in his class during the middle of the season.
Here is a brief analytical assessment provided by Nate Tice of Yahoo:
Tate has length and excellent hand-eye coordination which gives him a large catching radius, especially near the sideline and in the red zone. His strides eat up ground and his route-running has added real polish this season, opening up his ability to attack at all three levels.
Despite sharing the spotlight with Jeremiah Smith, who is almost certainly destined to be the seventh player from this lineup drafted in 2027, Tate has maintained a strong level of production independently throughout their tenure in Columbus.
During the 2025 season, Tate accumulated 875 receiving yards and nine scores across eleven matchups for the Buckeyes, with these figures placing him sixth in the Big Ten conference for both categories. Additionally, he served as the third-leading receiver for Ohio State’s College Football Playoff winning squad last year, trailing only Smith and Egbuka.
While Tate’s departure is largely anticipated, it introduces uncertainties regarding the Ohio State aerial offense for the upcoming season, particularly with offensive coordinator Brian Hartline’s move to South Florida. Although Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin are expected to remain, Tate and Smith were the sole wideouts to exceed 300 receiving yards during the current season.
Quincy Porter, a highly-rated five-star recruit from the previous year’s class, would have been a logical candidate to play alongside Smith; however, reports surfaced on Tuesday indicating his entry into the transfer portal. Similarly, Mylan Graham, another top prospect from the 2024 recruiting class, was also rumored to have entered the portal over the weekend.
