Why Max Klare Loved His Time Playing For Ohio State Buckeyes

Max Klare's grabbed headlines at the 2026 NFL Combine.

It's not because of his physical attributes, his rising stock or because of how well he played in the 2025 campaign with the Ohio State Buckeyes, but rather his thoughts on his favorite moment playing college ball.

On Thursday, Feb. 26, Klare, who joined Ohio State in 2025 after three seasons with the Purdue Boilermakers, was asked about what his favorite moment with the Buckeyes was. It took little thought before he blurted out what many thought he would.

"Beating Michigan," Klare said. "That was awesome. It's a big deal for us, and it was fun to be a part of that."

While it isn't much of a surprise to hear someone dressing in the scarlet and gray say a comment like that, for him to have such a deep-rooted passion for the culture established in Columbus shows loyalty. Although he spent just a year in the Buckeye state, he was bought into what it meant to play for Ohio State.

Max Klare said his favorite moment with Ohio State was beating Michigan.

Loved the internal competition level at Ohio State too. #NFLCombine @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/BvVlu2Pnbu
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) February 26, 2026

Klare went on to say that the competitive nature of the Buckeyes made him better over time. Having internal competition against some of the country's best athletes allowed him to grow and improve, comments that linebacker Arvell Reese stated just a few days ago.

In his junior year of ball with the Buckeyes, Klare hauled in 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns. The year prior, he grabbed 51 for 685 yards and four touchdowns. While his role offensively may have teetered slightly, his involvement in the trenches as a blocking tight end helped increase his stock ahead of the draft.

With so many talented weapons offensively, it was tough for the Buckeyes to get him involved in the action all the time.

Klare's Fit in the NFL

There are various teams that will be looking at Klare come draft day.

His versatility and ability to impact multiple areas of an offense make him an intriguing option at tight end. According to Mel Kiper Jr.'s positional rankings list, he comes in as the sixth-best tight end in the draft, firmly placing him as one of the top options at the position.

At 6-foot-5, he'll be a "throw it up and go get it" target for an air raid offense. He also has pretty good speed, adding to his athleticism and ability to stretch the field, with his unconfirmed 40-yard dash coming in at 4.70 seconds.

As he built his profile, Klare modeled his game after some of the NFL's best tight ends.

"[I model my game] after a few guys," Klare said. "Him [Travis Kelce], Sam LaPorta and Trey McBride."

That's strong company, and it speaks to the type of all-around weapon he thinks he can be at the highest level of the game.

Max Klare tries to model his game after Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, and Trey McBride. #NFLCombine @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/TmccGfWzKJ
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) February 26, 2026

If teams believe he has enough in the tank to become a legitimate weapon for their offense, there's a realistic chance that he goes somewhere between the second and fourth rounds. For a player going from Purdue to Ohio State, that's not a bad spot to be taken in.

Klare will have a chance to hear his name called on the grandest stage in just a few weeks time. The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pa., from Thursday, April 23, to Saturday, April 25.