While Jeremiah Smith grabs all the headlines for Ohio State, Carnell Tate is ready to show why he belongs in the conversation as one of the best wide receivers in the country.
From now until preseason camp starts on July 31, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the players who will shine this season. Whether they are superstars, diamonds in the rough, or journeymen, these are the Buckeyes who will define the 2025-26 season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player of the Year” articles here.
What Ohio State has been doing with their receiving corps over the last decade has been incredible. Not only have the Buckeyes seen five wide receivers selected in the first round over the last four NFL Drafts, since 2015 four other Ohio State receivers have been selected in the second round.
Nine receivers drafted in the first or second round since 2015, and that’s not even counting Jameson Williams, who was selected in the first round after transferring to Alabama.
The next Ohio State receiver to be taken in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft is looking like it will be Carnell Tate, who is primed to step into an even bigger role in the Buckeye offense this year. Even though Jeremiah Smith is the best receiver in college football, Tate should benefit from the attention that Smith will demand in Ohio State’s passing attack.
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Last year we saw glimpses of the talent Tate possesses, as the Chicago native caught 52 passes for 733 yards and four touchdowns. The best yardage performance for Tate came against Nebraska when he finished with 102 yards, while in his return to Chicago against Northwestern, the sophomore hauled in two touchdowns.
Overall, Tate’s most memorable game was in the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal against Texas when he grabbed seven passes for 87 yards. Even though Tate didn’t find the end zone against the Longhorns, he picked up the slack for Smith, who was blanketed all game by the Texas secondary.
Unfortunately for Smith, Ohio State’s opponents this year will likely look at how Texas defended him in the Cotton Bowl and it might be harder to get the superstar the football this season. Add in the Buckeyes breaking in a new quarterback and Ohio State is going to need another receiver to step up.
With Emeka Egbuka now in the NFL, Tate is looking like the perfect option to have a real breakout season in 2025. Last year we saw Tate step up with almost 40 more catches than he had in his freshman season. Now it’s time for the junior to take the next step and show NFL teams why he should be one of the first receivers taken in 2026 if he declares for the NFL Draft.
Will Tate end up having bigger stats than Smith in 2025? It’s highly unlikely since Smith is such an athletic freak that he can make catches while being blanketed. What Tate is going to do is give Julian Sayin a trusted option when the quarterback isn’t able to find Smith. In a way look at it like whe Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave lined up together, except the current Ohio State duo have a chance to be an even more prolific combo than Wilson and Olave.
Opposing defensive coordinators will have a lot of sleepless nights as they try to devise a plan on how to defend Smith and Tate, along with the rest of the weapons that the Buckeye offense will throw at them.
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Along with having incredible talent, Tate will also have tremendous motivation every time he steps on the football field. Back in July 2023, Tate’s mother was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Chicago. With how much Tate has already been through in his life, the wide receiver has even more fight and determination than most players since everything he does is to honor the memory of his mother.
In high pressure situations, expect Tate to dig even deeper and lay it all on the line for his teammates.
With how dynamic Ohio State receivers have been since former Buckeye wideout Brian Hartline joined the coaching staff, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both Smith and Tate named First Team All-Big Ten this season. Despite some of the other talented receivers around the conference, it is a testament to just how high the ceiling is for Smith, Tate, and the Buckeye offense in general.
There will be games where Smith stuffs the stat sheet, and others where Smith is bottled up and Tate gets his chance to eat.
It’s hard to be considered a sleeper after catching 52 passes for over 700 yards last season, but that just illustrates how much attention Smith demands at receiver. Those who overlook Carnell Tate this season will be wishing they paid more attention to the junior because when the season is all said and done, Tate will be in the conversation as one of the best receivers in the country.
Along with a drive for back-to-back national championships, Tate has all the tools to be the latest Ohio State wideout to be a first round pick in the NFL Draft.