Carnell Tate is set to be the next Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver to make his way to the big leagues.
And the Cleveland Browns better be taking note of the impressive play he’s been putting out on the field just two hours south in Columbus.
Tate has had himself an incredible 2025 campaign with Ohio State, with 587 receiving yards and six touchdowns on roughly 83.9 yards per game. He is also posting a career-high 17.3 yards per reception through seven games on the season.
One of the most impressive things he’s done this year?
He hasn’t dropped a pass yet.
His stellar play is putting him on pace to potentially be a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, joining an elite company of Buckeye wideouts to do the same.
Not only do his statistics show that he should be a top target for many NFL teams, but so do his physical characteristics. Coming in at 6-foot-3 and weighing 194 pounds, Tate’s a perfect target for any quarterback, especially across the middle of the field in the slot or as a deep threat.
His athleticism is something that makes him standout as well, as he is constantly climbing to the catch point and making plays over opposing defensive backs. Very few defenders also line up with his size as well.
If he can maintain this pace through the rest of the season, and just maybe, help lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back national championships, Tate has a real chance to make a case that he can be a No. 1 on an NFL offense.
For the Browns, he fits the mold.
The team currently has incredibly lackluster wideouts with Jerry Jeudy being the only real target for the team. If they can pare Tate with Jeudy, they would have a really strong one-two punch to provide opposing teams with.
Alongside Tate, the Buckeyes have also had impressive play from wideout Jeremiah Smith. Smith, a sophomore, was at one point projected to be a potential Heisman candidate by the end of the season. While those hopes have dwindled slightly, his production hasn’t.
Through seven games, he has a team-high 49 receptions to go along with 602 yards and seven touchdowns. He is currently on pace to have an even better campaign than he did in his freshman season, which saw 76 receptions, 1315 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Even if the Browns cannot get their hands on Tate, Smith should be on the front office’s draft board as well, whether it’s this draft or next.
Earlier in the year, five former Buckeyes, Emeka Egbuka, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave all thrived in their respective NFL matchups in Week 5 of the 2025 campaign. In total, they hauled in a combined 32 catches for 523 yards and three touchdowns.
The pipeline from Buckeye to big-leaguer only looks to grow as the chance for Smith and Tate to be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft starts to draw more eyes.
