It’s offseason for Ohio State football, which means a ton of roster moves and updates are happening at a breakneck pace. We’ve brought you plenty of transfer portal information, but we’re also keeping a close eye on the players making decisions about their NFL futures.
One of those players is star wide receiver Carnell Tate. Many considered it a foregone conclusion that Tate would enter the NFL Draft a year early after one year playing alongside Jeremiah Smith, and on Tuesday, the Chicago native made it official, announcing his plans to forgo his senior season in Columbus and enter the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Tate is Ohio State’s dangerous weapon and is — arguably — as important to the offense as Smith, who gets more attention. The IMG product finished the 2025 season with 51 catches for 875 yards (17.2 average) and nine touchdowns. Those numbers could have been more impressive, but he missed some games at the end of the year due to injury.
While this news was expected, Ohio State now must replace its starters in the receiving room. Smith and Brandon Innes are expected to occupy two of those spots as returning starters, but several other returning depth players who could take Tate’s spot have decided to dance with the transfer portal (Bryson Rogers, Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter). That means incoming five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. will likely get an early start, but expect the Buckeyes to be very active in the portal, bringing in a third dynamic player.
We will provide more updates as they become available.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate announces future NFL plans
