January 7, 2026 • 8 mins
Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate has announced that he will be foregoing his senior year and entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss Carnell Tate's rise at Ohio State, where he'll stand among the OSU WR greats, what the NFL will be getting, and more.
In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss Carnell Tate's rise at Ohio State, where he'll stand among the OSU WR greats, what the NFL will be getting, and more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
How's it going, Tony. We've been doing so many shows
on transfer portal departures and transfer portal targets that this
feels almost quaint. An Ohio State football player leaving the
Ohio State football program and it's just for the NFL Draft.
It's like, boy, this is this is like really old timey.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
It's yeah, I was gonna say, leaving college football the
old fashioned way by turning pro early and heading to
the NFL. We are, of course, in this episode, talking
about wide receiver Carnell Tate, junior wide receiver starting two
years started for the Buckeyes, and of course this was
not a major surprise and based on his play this
(00:47):
year warranted. Some are calling him wide receiver one of
the draft, and you know, gosh, if you just draft
the first, just draft an Ohio State receiver first amongst
the receivers over it's like, you know, twenty eighteen or whatever,
he'd probably be doing pretty pretty well. And Carnel Tait
looks like he's the next guy in line. Fifty one catches,
(01:08):
which surprisingly Tom is actually a couple fewer than the
fifty actually one fewer than the fifty two he had
last year, and a bit of a different role. But
fifty one catches eight hundred and seventy five yards nine touchdowns,
a guy that was a really really nice compliment to
Jeremiah Smith, but also wasn't a second fiddle because he
(01:30):
was plenty good to be wide receiver one anywhere he.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Played, Yeah, for sure. And just looking at mel Kuiper's
big board right now, because this is the kind of
this is Mel Kiper season. He is wide receiver one
in the NFL draft right now, projected as a top
ten pick. So yeah, if you were, if you were
a top ten pick, you are not playing second fiddle
to anyone. And you know this is not a new
thing for Ohio State to have. You know, you look
(01:55):
at some of the other other programs with highly projected
wide receivers the board that's like Makai Lemon and who
else USC have like e I mean, now, no one
else that you're probably seeing in the top ten in
the draft in a time in the near future. Cardinal Tate,
you know, man, he you would have loved to see
a fully healthy season for Cardinal Tate because I suspect
(02:17):
his numbers would have been substantially better than they were
a year prior. But you know, he certainly was someone
who came up big in some big moments for the
buck Eyes had even after coming back from that injury,
had a touchdown against Michigan, had a touchdown in the
Big Ten Championship game. And you know, with someone who
was I think a very easy person to root for.
Obviously had some you know, some tragedy in his personal
(02:40):
life during his time at Ohio State, but really, you know,
he's one of those guys that you hear people say
just you know, never flinch, never blinked, just kind of
kept you know, kept working hard, kept doing you know,
doing things the right way. And I think was someone
who you know is going to going to be someone
who when you're listing, you know, hey, here's these great
Ohio state wide receivers in the NFL. He's going to
(03:02):
be someone that's going to be on that list. And
you know people who I think Ohio State fans are
going to have an easy time rooting for moving forward.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Yeah, a college career more akin to Terry McLaurin than
an Amcca Abuka, where neither one of those guys were
necessarily ever the guy on their team, but both were
went to the NFL and will be the guy on
their team. A Mecca Abuca kind of went under the
radar playing with Marvin Harrison and with Jeremiah Smith, but
(03:32):
also a two time thousand yard receiver, one of only
three now joining Jeremiah Smith and Marvin Harrison. But Carnel
Tate never a thousand yard receiver, much like Terry McLaurin,
but always advanced, always mature, always ready with whatever was needed.
And I will remind people his true freshman year in
(03:54):
twenty twenty three of eighteen catches was at the time
the sixth among true freshmen in Ohio State modern football history.
And of course Jeremiah goes and blows that out of
the water. But eighteen catches, two hundred and sixty four
yards and a touchdown as a true freshman numbers that
weren't typical. And he came in time, and we all
(04:16):
remember what Marvin Harrison had to say about him.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, that's exactly where I was going when I was like,
I hope he stopped talking soon so I can talk
about the Marvin Harrison things, so thank you for stopping talking.
As always always grateful when you stop talking. Yeah, I
go back to it was Carnel Tate's freshman year and
Marvin Harrison junior is still at Ohio State, and he's
talking about the fact that, you know, Carnel Tate is
ahead of where I was when I was you know,
(04:41):
when I was his age basically, and you know, I
mean that's true. Marvin Harrison had what nine catchers or
something like that as a true freshman and really only
came on in the Rose Bowl when he sort of
got that opportunity when Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson opted
out of the Rose Bowl and that's when Marvin Harrison
sort of burst onto the scene. Carnell Tate was a
factor earlier than that in you know, with the twenty
(05:04):
twenty three Buckeyes, and you know, he was someone who
I think he's just sort of progressed and was just
really steady, really reliable, someone that was probably I think
he's going to go down. Terry mclorina, I think is
a good a good comp because I think he's going
to be a little bit underrated as people look back
(05:24):
at these Ohio State teams where you know, he had
these huge moments, and I always go back to the
game at Wrigley Field when he's returning to his hometown
of Chicago, and had a couple of touchdown catches, including
that incredible diving catch and almost had a third, got
stopped at like the one yard line on one of them,
but you know that that will always be kind of
the Carnel Tape moment to me. But had that touchdown
(05:47):
against Michigan in the snow, had the touchdown against the
in the Big Ten Championship against Indiana, and you know,
he's he's someone who I think is going to be
a little bit underappreciated because he never had the Jeremiah
Smith season. He never had the Jackson Smith and Jigba
you know, Rose Bowl type game. He just was really steady,
(06:08):
really reliable. And also when you're playing with Marvin Harrison,
when you're playing with with Jeremiah Smith, it's easy to
kind of get, you know, a little bit lost because
you're not necessarily the guy whose name is you know
in the big font at the top of the movie poster.
But you know, really really always just a consistent, really
(06:31):
good player. And someone that I think Ohio State fans probably,
like I said, will not remember as great as he really,
you know, truly was for the Buckeyes over the years.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Well and I was just looking over it as his
game log, and you know, he missed a couple of games,
missed a few games this year, missed one game last year.
The only time he played and did not catch a
pass were two times as a freshman. He played in
every game as a true freshman, only went catchless in
two games, which that alone is an outstanding, incredible stat
(07:04):
for a true freshman wide receiver at Ohio State to
you know not you know, he was in He's one
of the rare freshman backups to be in a rotation
over there in the recent history for the Ohio State
wide receivers. So now they have to find a way
to replace him playing that Z receiver. But frankly, he
can play Z, he can play X, he can he
can play in the slot as well. You know, Ohio
(07:26):
State is still trying to perhaps lure Mylon Graham back,
which would help replace that that Z position that Carnel
Tate played so well. Losing Quincy Porter of course hurts,
but you know, they it's Ohio state. There should be
there should be options, and we will. Boy, we're gonna
talk about those options leaning into springball for sure. So
(07:48):
I guess that will wrap it on the Carnel tate
off to the NFL for future first round pick. You
mentioned number ten on the big board. That would be
a contract of about thirty some million dollars for a
four year deal some not a not a big bad
gig if you can get it, So that will do here.
If you want to hit the thumbs up, we'd appreciate it, subscribe,
hit the bell, all of those good things, and of
course you can continue to find us at Buckeye Huddle
(08:10):
dot com. So that will do it from here. Thank
you all for tuning in, and we'll talk to you
all later
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
How's it going, Tony. We've been doing so many shows
on transfer portal departures and transfer portal targets that this
feels almost quaint. An Ohio State football player leaving the
Ohio State football program and it's just for the NFL Draft.
It's like, boy, this is this is like really old timey.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
It's yeah, I was gonna say, leaving college football the
old fashioned way by turning pro early and heading to
the NFL. We are, of course, in this episode, talking
about wide receiver Carnell Tate, junior wide receiver starting two
years started for the Buckeyes, and of course this was
not a major surprise and based on his play this
(00:47):
year warranted. Some are calling him wide receiver one of
the draft, and you know, gosh, if you just draft
the first, just draft an Ohio State receiver first amongst
the receivers over it's like, you know, twenty eighteen or whatever,
he'd probably be doing pretty pretty well. And Carnel Tait
looks like he's the next guy in line. Fifty one catches,
(01:08):
which surprisingly Tom is actually a couple fewer than the
fifty actually one fewer than the fifty two he had
last year, and a bit of a different role. But
fifty one catches eight hundred and seventy five yards nine touchdowns,
a guy that was a really really nice compliment to
Jeremiah Smith, but also wasn't a second fiddle because he
(01:30):
was plenty good to be wide receiver one anywhere he.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Played, Yeah, for sure. And just looking at mel Kuiper's
big board right now, because this is the kind of
this is Mel Kiper season. He is wide receiver one
in the NFL draft right now, projected as a top
ten pick. So yeah, if you were, if you were
a top ten pick, you are not playing second fiddle
to anyone. And you know this is not a new
thing for Ohio State to have. You know, you look
(01:55):
at some of the other other programs with highly projected
wide receivers the board that's like Makai Lemon and who
else USC have like e I mean, now, no one
else that you're probably seeing in the top ten in
the draft in a time in the near future. Cardinal Tate,
you know, man, he you would have loved to see
a fully healthy season for Cardinal Tate because I suspect
(02:17):
his numbers would have been substantially better than they were
a year prior. But you know, he certainly was someone
who came up big in some big moments for the
buck Eyes had even after coming back from that injury,
had a touchdown against Michigan, had a touchdown in the
Big Ten Championship game. And you know, with someone who
was I think a very easy person to root for.
Obviously had some you know, some tragedy in his personal
(02:40):
life during his time at Ohio State, but really, you know,
he's one of those guys that you hear people say
just you know, never flinch, never blinked, just kind of
kept you know, kept working hard, kept doing you know,
doing things the right way. And I think was someone
who you know is going to going to be someone
who when you're listing, you know, hey, here's these great
Ohio state wide receivers in the NFL. He's going to
(03:02):
be someone that's going to be on that list. And
you know people who I think Ohio State fans are
going to have an easy time rooting for moving forward.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Yeah, a college career more akin to Terry McLaurin than
an Amcca Abuka, where neither one of those guys were
necessarily ever the guy on their team, but both were
went to the NFL and will be the guy on
their team. A Mecca Abuca kind of went under the
radar playing with Marvin Harrison and with Jeremiah Smith, but
(03:32):
also a two time thousand yard receiver, one of only
three now joining Jeremiah Smith and Marvin Harrison. But Carnel
Tate never a thousand yard receiver, much like Terry McLaurin,
but always advanced, always mature, always ready with whatever was needed.
And I will remind people his true freshman year in
(03:54):
twenty twenty three of eighteen catches was at the time
the sixth among true freshmen in Ohio State modern football history.
And of course Jeremiah goes and blows that out of
the water. But eighteen catches, two hundred and sixty four
yards and a touchdown as a true freshman numbers that
weren't typical. And he came in time, and we all
(04:16):
remember what Marvin Harrison had to say about him.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, that's exactly where I was going when I was like,
I hope he stopped talking soon so I can talk
about the Marvin Harrison things, so thank you for stopping talking.
As always always grateful when you stop talking. Yeah, I
go back to it was Carnel Tate's freshman year and
Marvin Harrison junior is still at Ohio State, and he's
talking about the fact that, you know, Carnel Tate is
ahead of where I was when I was you know,
(04:41):
when I was his age basically, and you know, I
mean that's true. Marvin Harrison had what nine catchers or
something like that as a true freshman and really only
came on in the Rose Bowl when he sort of
got that opportunity when Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson opted
out of the Rose Bowl and that's when Marvin Harrison
sort of burst onto the scene. Carnell Tate was a
factor earlier than that in you know, with the twenty
(05:04):
twenty three Buckeyes, and you know, he was someone who
I think he's just sort of progressed and was just
really steady, really reliable, someone that was probably I think
he's going to go down. Terry mclorina, I think is
a good a good comp because I think he's going
to be a little bit underrated as people look back
(05:24):
at these Ohio State teams where you know, he had
these huge moments, and I always go back to the
game at Wrigley Field when he's returning to his hometown
of Chicago, and had a couple of touchdown catches, including
that incredible diving catch and almost had a third, got
stopped at like the one yard line on one of them,
but you know that that will always be kind of
the Carnel Tape moment to me. But had that touchdown
(05:47):
against Michigan in the snow, had the touchdown against the
in the Big Ten Championship against Indiana, and you know,
he's he's someone who I think is going to be
a little bit underappreciated because he never had the Jeremiah
Smith season. He never had the Jackson Smith and Jigba
you know, Rose Bowl type game. He just was really steady,
(06:08):
really reliable. And also when you're playing with Marvin Harrison,
when you're playing with with Jeremiah Smith, it's easy to
kind of get, you know, a little bit lost because
you're not necessarily the guy whose name is you know
in the big font at the top of the movie poster.
But you know, really really always just a consistent, really
(06:31):
good player. And someone that I think Ohio State fans probably,
like I said, will not remember as great as he really,
you know, truly was for the Buckeyes over the years.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Well and I was just looking over it as his
game log, and you know, he missed a couple of games,
missed a few games this year, missed one game last year.
The only time he played and did not catch a
pass were two times as a freshman. He played in
every game as a true freshman, only went catchless in
two games, which that alone is an outstanding, incredible stat
(07:04):
for a true freshman wide receiver at Ohio State to
you know not you know, he was in He's one
of the rare freshman backups to be in a rotation
over there in the recent history for the Ohio State
wide receivers. So now they have to find a way
to replace him playing that Z receiver. But frankly, he
can play Z, he can play X, he can he
can play in the slot as well. You know, Ohio
(07:26):
State is still trying to perhaps lure Mylon Graham back,
which would help replace that that Z position that Carnel
Tate played so well. Losing Quincy Porter of course hurts,
but you know, they it's Ohio state. There should be
there should be options, and we will. Boy, we're gonna
talk about those options leaning into springball for sure. So
(07:48):
I guess that will wrap it on the Carnel tate
off to the NFL for future first round pick. You
mentioned number ten on the big board. That would be
a contract of about thirty some million dollars for a
four year deal some not a not a big bad
gig if you can get it, So that will do here.
If you want to hit the thumbs up, we'd appreciate it, subscribe,
hit the bell, all of those good things, and of
course you can continue to find us at Buckeye Huddle
(08:10):
dot com. So that will do it from here. Thank
you all for tuning in, and we'll talk to you
all later
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