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Unreasonable Expectations: Max Klare will be the top-producing tight end in the NCAA

June 25, 2025 by Land Grant Holy Land

Ohio State Spring Showcase
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The transfer from Purdue has the talent, if only he can get the touches to accumulate the numbers he needs.

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about our Unreasonable Expectations. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Unreasonable Expectations here.


When Ohio State landed Max Klare via the transfer portal, the tight end was coming off an impressive season at Purdue in which he totaled 685 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 51 catches, good for an average of 13.4 yards per play.

What makes those numbers even more impressive is that he managed to accrue them on a Boilermaker team that finished last in the conference with only one win on the season (against Indiana State in Week One).

In the part of his role that required him to function as a receiver, Klare created opportunities for the Boilermakers with much less offensive line support than he will have this season at Ohio State. In spite of this, Klare managed to create big plays, even against top teams like Notre Dame and Oregon.

Now, with the power of the Buckeyes’ offense behind him, Klare has the opportunity to be the most productive tight end in the country in 2025.

If this is an unreasonable expectation for Klare, it’s not a reflection of his talent. Rather, it’s a sheer numbers game: Ohio State has so many offensive weapons that, unlike last season, Klare will have to share offensive touches. More guys sharing the ball equals fewer opportunities to accumulate yards. That part is basic math.

Because of this, the odds would tell us the most productive tight end will be one who is used as the main receiving target, rather than someone on a team with guys like Jeremiah Smith.

Still, while it might be a stretch, it’s also not out of the realm of possibility. The same reason that it is unreasonable (sharing touches) could also work in Klare’s favor: Precisely because he is not the primary receiving target, there is an opportunity for Klare to catch opposing defenses off guard.

Though it would be unwise for defenses to sleep on Klare, the temptation to focus solely on containing the wide receiver room is understandable. Smith, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, and Mylan Graham all pose formidable threats, and if defenses get distracted by them, it could open the door for Klare to go off.

Klare will also benefit from a starting new quarterback, something that allows him to establish rapport with QB1 without having to play catch-up to the other receiving targets.

If he can capitalize on these factors, even with fewer touches, it’s not outrageous to think he could average more yards per carry and put up the top numbers for a tight end in the NCAA this season.

To take this a step further, when we look at the guys who are predicted to be the top tight ends in the country, Klare’s numbers last season out-produced both TEs ranked higher than him heading into 2025.

Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, widely expected to be the top tight end this season, totaled 638 yards and five touchdowns—comparable numbers to Klare’s—in 2024. However, Stowers was his team’s top receiving target, meaning defenses this season will be able to focus on containing him. This could impact his ability to accrue numbers.

Behind Stowers is Jack Endries, who transferred from Cal to Texas for his final year of eligibility. Endries had 623 receiving yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per catch last season at Cal. As a Longhorn, Endries will find himself sharing touches with offensive targets such as Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore Jr., neither of whom offers the same caliber of distraction as Smith.

All of this leaves us with a lot of “ifs” — if defenses are distracted by Smith, if Klare establishes a strong rapport with his quarterback, if Stowers gets shut down because he’s the top target, if Endries gets fewer touches, if…, if…, if…—then Klare could be the most productive tight end in 2025.

It’s not entirely within Klare’s control, and the most likely scenario is that he simply won’t have enough touches to do this. But “unreasonable” doesn’t mean “impossible,” and only time will tell if the “ifs” are on Klare’s side.

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Filed Under: Ohio State

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