Ohio State WR Carnell Tate reportedly declaring for 2026 NFL Draft

Another elite Ohio State wide receiver is headed to the NFL Draft.

Buckeyes wideout Carnell Tate announced Tuesday he is declaring for the draft, where he is likely to be a first-round pick.

The 20-year-old is a near-lock to become Ohio State's sixth wide receiver taken in the first round since 2022, joining Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Yahoo Sports has the Tennessee Titans taking him fourth overall in its latest mock draft and ranked him as the class' No. 12 prospect at midseason.

Advertisement

A quick scouting report from Yahoo's Nate Tice:

Tate has length and excellent hand-eye coordination which gives him a large catching radius, especially near the sideline and in the red zone. His strides eat up ground and his route-running has added real polish this season, opening up his ability to attack at all three levels.

Jeremiah Smith, the player nearly guaranteed to become the seventh player on the above list in the 2027 Draft, has overshadowed Tate in their shared time together in Columbus, but Tate has been highly productive in his own right.

In 2025, Tate posted 875 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns in 11 games for the Buckeyes, with both numbers ranking sixth in the Big Ten. He was also the No. 3 receiver on Ohio State's College Football Playoff championship team last year, behind Smith and Egbuka.

Tate's exit is hardly a surprise, though it does leave some questions about how the Ohio State passing attack is going to look next year with offensive coordinator Brian Hartline leaving for South Florida. Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin aren't going anywhere, but Tate and Smith were the only wide receivers with more than 300 receiving yards this season.

Advertisement

Quincy Porter, a five-star recruit in last year's class, might have been a natural choice to slot in opposite Smith, but he was reported to have entered the transfer portal earlier Tuesday. Mylan Graham, another top recruit in the Class of 2024, also reportedly entered the portal this weekend.