Let’s — and I mean this sincerely — F#cking GOOOOOOOOOO!
This one has been a bit of a rollercoaster, but on Monday, five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate officially pledged to play his college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound phenom is the No. 28 player nationally in the 2023 recruiting cycle and the No. 3 receiver according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
Tate chose Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes over nearly every other major program in the country; Notre Dame and Tennessee were the two schools also considered major contenders late in the process with the Vols presumably holding an edge until recent weeks.
The commitment is the 11th in the Buckeyes’ class and Tate becomes the highest-rated player in the cycle for OSU thus far. The addition of Tate moves Ohio State up from No. 8 in the rankings to No. 2 behind only the Fighting Irish, who has 15 recruits currently.
Originally from Chicago, Tate transferred from Marist High School to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. for his junior season in 2021. He also plays on the same 7-on-7 team as fellow five-star receiver Brandon Inniss — No. 18 nationally — who has received multiple crystal balls for the Buckeyes in the past month. Inniss was in Columbus on an official visit along with fellow top-50 wide receiver Noah Rogers over the weekend. Analysts believe that there is a chance that Hartline and the Buckeyes land all three prize pass-catchers.
According to 247’s Andrew Ivins, Tate is “The type of wide receiver that always seems to be open.”
Ivins continues:
Creates plenty of separation at the line of scrimmage and is able to beat both zone and man coverage once underway. Superb body control and large 10-inch hands allow him to make extremely difficult catches look relatively easy. Competitive not only at the catch point, but also once the ball is in his hands as he will fight to pick up additional yardage … Has experience working both inside and outside … Has posted impressive numbers before in both the short shuttle and vertical jump. Might not be a 4.4 guy on the stopwatch, but likely to only get more explosive once frequenting a college weight room. Should be viewed as one of the top pass catchers in a deep 2023 wide receiver class and a potential all-conference type of player for a Top 25 program. Ability to consistently shake defenders and generate big plays will eventually have him on the radar of NFL scouts.
Tate joins a class that also features offensive tackle Luke Montgomery who is currently ranked No. 42 nationally, cornerback Dijon Johnson (95), tight end Ty Lockwood (131), and safety Malik Hartford (149) in the top 150.
Inniss’ high school running back Mark Fletcher (No. 219) is also already committed, as is WR Bryson Rodgers (No. 270).
Check out highlights from Tate’s junior season at IMG Academy: