Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate on pace to be top NFL draft pick in 2026

Carnell Tate has a chance to be a top draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The junior wideout has shot his stock up this season, hauling in 34 catches for 587 yards and six touchdowns en route to helping lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to an undefeated record. Tate and his counterpart, Jeremiah Smith, have been fed the rock early this season by sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin and have taken advantage of each opportunity.

The Chicago native took his time to get involved in the Buckeyes' offense, catching 70 passes and five touchdowns combined through his first two seasons with the team. In 2025, he is expected to pass that mark tenfold.

“He runs really well,” Offensive Coordinator Brian Hartline said ahead of the 2024 season, where the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship. “He's very, very clean from a mechanics and footwork standpoint and probably some of the toughest hands on the team catching the ball in traffic. So it doesn't matter really where you put Carnell. He's going to take care of his job and be a competitive advantage.”

All it took was a bit of time and trust from his coaching staff, and Tate blossomed into one of the top receivers in college football.

No high school wide receiver expects to come in and play immediately, especially with the track record that Ohio State route runners have. Just a short few weeks ago, five former Ohio State wide receivers exploded for their respective teams in the NFL and reiterated the sentiment that Hartline has created a breeding ground for NFL-ready talent.

While now Tampa Bay Bucaneer Emeka Egbuka and Arizona Cardinal Marvin Harrison Jr. were the leading wideouts while Tate was a freshman, he still earned chances to play.

That trust from the coaching staff directly led to Tate growing into the player he has become.

"Carnell kind of turned the switch on his own. He's a self-driven individual," Hartline said earlier in the season. "And I think he identified that when Emeka left there was going to be a potential void from a leadership standpoint, and he just grabbed it by the wings and run with it. I've been really impressed with Carnell's leadership qualities and how he's chosen to take that step."

The junior is showcasing that he not only can be a major contributor for the Buckeyes on the field and in the stat column, but in the locker room as well.

These are major characteristics that NFL teams are looking at, especially when considering taking a guy in the first round.

One of the most interesting aspects of his role with Ohio State is his ability to play anywhere on the field. He can work both in the slot and outside as a deep target.

“We can play Carnell anywhere,” Hartline said. “I think his ability to learn an offense, the intricate details, throw him in positions, make a mistake, he'll never make that mistake again. (He) does a good job of learning from others.”

Most recently, Tate put together one of his best performances this season. He hauled in six of seven passes thrown his way for 111 yards and two scores. His performance was good enough to earn a receiving grade of 81.2. Each of his marks from the game against the Badgers was the highest on the team offensively.

“It’s football. You’re gonna have your big games, you’re gonna have your bad games,” Tate said after the game. “You’ve gotta stay levelheaded. Everyone’s due for a big game, and that was my big game. So I’m due for another one, so I’ve gotta keep going.”

He will have a chance to continue growing his draft stock in roughly two weeks time as Ohio State prepares to match up against the Penn State Nittany Lions. While the game has lost a bit of its glamour, it should give Tate a chance to explode for another big performance.

The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will kickoff from The Shoe on Saturday, Nov. 1, with kickoff slated for 12:00 p.m.