Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate is ready for his closeup at the 2026 NFL Draft
The NFL just got another big-name declaration. Carnell Tate—who jumped in feet-first as a Buckeyes freshman—has officially elected to forego his final season of eligibility in favor of making waves at the 2026 Draft.
Tate is a projected lottery pick, expected to be selected in the top 10 in April in Pittsburgh, PA. He’ll look to extend Ohio State’s current record streak of wide receivers taken in the first round. He follows in the footsteps of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave (2022), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2023), Marvin Harrison Jr. (2024), and Emeka Egbuka in 2025.
Tate has drawn comparisons from at least one NFL scout to former Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler Chris Chambers. However, Tate stands a full four inches taller at 6-foot-3 and can bring down contested balls. It should be noted that the comparison raises a few eyebrows as Chambers clocked 40-yard dash times of 4.33 (official) and 4.31, whereas Tate tends to rely on separation to make up for shortcomings in top-end speed. Thanks to that separation, pinpoint route-running, and ability to win with the ball in flight, he’ll be a Week 1 starter for whoever drafts him.
Carnell Tate finishes his three-year career at Ohio State with 39 games played and a win in the CFP Championship. He amassed 121 catches for 1,872 yards (15.5 YPC), with 14 touchdowns.
Author: Samwise (@BuyAndSellYou)
