Will Kacmarek is a tight end and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who finished his collegiate career with the Ohio State Buckeyes after spending three seasons with the Ohio Bobcats. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kacmarek attended Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School, where he was a multi-sport athlete who also played lacrosse, and was rated a two-star recruit in the 2021 class before committing to Ohio as the program's only FBS offer. He redshirted as a true freshman, then became a productive receiving tight end for the Bobcats, catching 20 passes for 264 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2022 and 22 catches for 243 yards and a touchdown in 2023 across 27 career games. He entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and was identified by Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey as the best blocking tight end available, joining the Buckeyes ahead of their 2024 national championship season. He appeared in 12 games in 2024 before a season-ending injury against Oregon cut his role short with eight receptions for 86 yards, then returned for a full final season in 2025, starting 10 of 14 games, recording 15 catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, and serving as a vocal leader in Ohio State's tight end room during back-to-back playoff runs. He was invited to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl, where he drew praise for his physicality and ability to handle a position shift to center.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds, Kacmarek is widely regarded by coaches as one of the best blocking tight ends in the 2026 draft class, known for his violent finishing ability on down blocks and angle runs, his competence as a pass protector that allowed just two pressures across nearly 100 pressure reps in two seasons at Ohio State, and the football intelligence and leadership instincts that earned him the respect of everyone in his room. NFL evaluators project him as a developmental in-line tight end whose primary value at the next level will come as a run-blocking specialist and pass protector in a two-tight-end system, with enough receiving ability to be a credible threat at the catch point when called upon.
