Ohio State Standout Slammed With Blistering Take Before Second NFL Season

The Ohio State Buckeyes are not known for placing elite tight ends onto the NFL level, and they don't even typically utilize them much in general.

However, for a couple of seasons in 2022 and 2023, Ohio State actually did boast a pretty solid tight end who projected to become an impressive talent in the pros: Cade Stover.

Stover put together back-to-back impressive campaigns for the Buckeyes before being selected by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with his best season in Columbus coming in 2023 when he hauled in 41 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns.

But after just one year with the Texans, Stover could already be on the chopping block, with Cem Yolbulan of House of Houston declaring that the 24-year-old is "on thin ice" heading into 2025.

"Stover, Houston's fourth-round pick from a year ago, may find himself the odd man out in the pecking order after not showing much in his rookie season," Yolbulan wrote. "... He caught 15 passes in 22 targets for 133 yards and one touchdown, finishing the season with a 51.9 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus. Perhaps more importantly, Stover received a 23.6 pass block grade on PFF."

Essentially, there wasn't a whole lot that Stover did well in 2024, and with a rather crowded tight end room developing in Houston, the Ohio State product may be in danger of losing his job.

Would the Texans really give up on Stover so fat? Well, Houston already has Dalton Schultz as the top of the depth chart, and with Brevin Jordan, Irv Smith Jr. and incoming rookie Luke Lachey also fighting for playoff time, Stover could find himself the odd man out if he doesn't put forth a strong performance in training camp.

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