The Ohio State Buckeyes have developed another weapon at wide receiver position, and his name is Carnell Tate.

After the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day defeated the preseason No. 1 team in the Texas Longhorns to kick off the season, one offensive playmaker is slowly emerging as a key weapon on offense this season.

Junior wide receiver Carnell Tate may not have dominated the stat sheets (two catches, 49 receiving yards), but the rising star played a huge factor in the team's victory after catching quarterback Julian Sayin's lone touchdown of the contest.

As a former five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Tate has often been overlooked since his arrival. In his first year at Ohio State, the highly-touted wideout received a solid workload despite playing alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, totaling 18 catches for 264 receiving yards and one touchdown. And with Harrison out of the mix in 2024, many believed that his sophomore season would become his breakout year. However, star receivers Jeremiah Smith and Egbuka stole the show on offense, leaving Tate with 52 catches for 733 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Now that Tate has been given more opportunities within the offense, he is already displaying traits of becoming the next great receiver to come out of Ohio State.

Why Tate Works For The Buckeyes

At 6-foot-3, 195 lbs., Tate has a rare combination of size and speed that allows him to be successful, along with a natural route-running ability. These traits are some of the key reason why the young talent is slowly increasing his role on offense, as he can create space and win at all three levels of the field.

In addition to his savviness in the passing game, Tate also does his part in the run game as a blocker, which gives him more time to see the field. This, as well as his ability to play outside or in the slot makes him a true jack-of-all-trades receiver and a perfect compliment to Smith.

With a new quarterback at the helm for the Buckeyes in Sayin, the pass catching unit becomes even more important for the program, as the redshirt freshman will need all the help he can get this season. It's clear that opposing defenses will begin to key in on Smith, but with a playmaker like Tate in the rotation, Ohio State's passing game could eventually become one of the best in the nation.