Freshman Freak?: Buckeyes' Day Raves About Carnell Tate

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was very complimentary of the freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate in a recent interview.

Author:
Harrison Reno
Apr 9, 2023 9:45 AM EDT

In this story:

Ohio State Buckeyes

Could the Ohio State Buckeyes have another star in the making at wide receiver in Carnell Tate?

In an interview with the media, the freshman wide-out drew big praise from head coach Ryan Day recently.

“The feedback we are getting from academics, nutrition, strength and conditioning, position coaches, strength and development, everybody has such great things to say about him, ..." Day said about Tate.

"It translates on the field; he's prepared, he takes care of his business, and is very mature," Day continued. "On the field, he's making a lot of plays. He has to pick up a lot of offense; for a young player, he has a pretty mature route tree, does a nice job at the line of scrimmage, catches the ball strong, makes plays, all really encouraging signs."

Tate, the IMG Academy product, is no stranger to competition. He faced it daily in practice and during games while playing at one of high school football's powerhouses.

While the jump from the high school level to college is a big one, that hasn't stopped Tate from standing out in practice for the Buckeyes at one of their most talented positions.

With Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka set to be the one-two punch on the perimeter of Ohio State's offense in 2023 before likely beginning careers in the NFL, Tate will have the opportunity to learn from those guys and set himself up to take over the mantle like Harrison, and Egbuka did when Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave left for the pros.

Tate, a former four-star according to the 247Sports Composite ratings, is another example of the elite recruiting by offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline who has helped make Columbus a destination for some of the top pass-catchers coming out of high school each cycle.

Having freshmen contribute right away isn’t uncommon for the Buckeyes at wide receiver. Wilson burst onto the scene in year one with 432 yards and five touchdowns on 32 receptions.

So far, it seems Tate is doing all the right things to be on track to have a successful first year as a Buckeye.