Last week against Purdue, the Ohio State football team had to play the Boilermakers without receiver Carnell Tate. Tate warmed up with the team, but the team decided to hold him out. He was in full uniform on the sidelines throughout the game, but he didn't take a snap.
Against UCLA, the Ohio State Buckeyes will not have Tate's services again, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. The issue is not deemed to be a long-term issue, although it's still a mystery what exactly the injury is. Some Ohio State fans fear that he is pulling a JSN.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba decided not to return to the Buckeyes after he hurt his hamstring in his final season during the 2022 year, despite reportedly being healthy enough to return to the team. Fans are freaked out that Tate is doing the same thing. Tate seemed to send a message on social media to calm fans.
Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate sends calming message to fans
On social media, Tate liked a tweet that seems to indicate that he is not shutting it down for the rest of the year.
For the people freaking out https://t.co/1kiyiJUQJB pic.twitter.com/zWwHJZsc9Y
— OhioStateMan🏆 (@OhioStateMan_) November 15, 2025
Ohio State certainly doesn't need Tate to beat the Bruins or Rutgers next week. They will need all hands on deck if they want to end the losing streak to TTUN, although the Wolverines struggled mightily with Northwestern. Having Tate out for The Game would be a disaster.
Tate has been fantastic so far this season and has really helped his draft stock. He will likely be a first-round pick in April when the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around. With him on the field, no one can stop Ohio State's offense. With him out, teams can focus more on Jeremiah Smith.
Ryan Day doesn't seem concerned about the injury following the Purdue game. Tate is sending a message to fans that he is still going to suit up for the team this year. It just won't be against UCLA.