What losing Max Klare to NFL means for Ohio State Buckeyes next season

Ohio State has faced the departure of several players this offseason, either to the transfer portal or the NFL Draft, with one more deciding to turn pro on Tuesday.

Tight end Max Klare has declared his intention to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. After spending his first three college seasons at Purdue, Klare transferred to Ohio State last offseason.

NEWS: Ohio State tight end Max Klare is leaving school early and entering the NFL Draft, he tells ESPN. Klare projects as one of the NFL draft’s top tight ends. He brings high-end production, with 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns this year. pic.twitter.com/8Y0UZWXStF
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 13, 2026

In 14 games with the Buckeyes, Klare recorded 43 receptions for a total of 448 yards and two touchdowns.

247Sports ranked Klare as the top tight end transfer in the 2025 class, but he never quite lived up to the expectations. It was going to be challenging for Klare to get significant production in an offense that favored wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

Klare experienced a significant boost in production while Tate and Smith were sidelined with injuries. Tate missed three games, including matchups against Purdue, UCLA and Rutgers, while Smith was unavailable for the second half of the UCLA game and the entire Rutgers game.

Klare recorded 17 receptions for 190 yards and one touchdown over those three games, showcasing a remarkable performance. Against Purdue, he tallied five receptions for 59 yards, which left head coach Ryan Day quite impressed.

"It was good to see Max make some really nice plays," Day said on Nov. 10, via Eleven Warriors Andy Anders. "I thought he probably played his best game. Blocked really well. "I think his confidence is growing and he's peaking at the right time."

Klare is expected to be one of the top tight ends chosen in the draft. Although positional value isn't as critical at tight end compared to other positions, Klare might slide a bit but should still be selected within the first three rounds.

The Buckeyes likely anticipated for some time that Klare would declare for the draft, as they brought in two transfer tight ends this offseason. The first addition was Mason Williams from Ohio, followed by Northwestern's Hunter Welcing.

Williams and Welcing are likely to be part of a rotation of tight ends that will see playing time in the upcoming season, alongside Bennett Christian and Nate Roberts.

It will be intriguing to see how the Buckeyes manage the tight end position in the upcoming season and who might step up as the top tight end on the roster.

The Buckeyes might still be considering adding another tight end through the portal; if they don’t, the position group could be underwhelming.