The Ohio State football program didn't have as many players transfer out of the program as some around the country hoped. Other programs were hoping to be able to poach some Buckeyes away from Columbus. They only lost a few players, and none of them were key contributors.
That doesn't mean that other programs haven't tried to pry away some Ohio State Buckeyes. Multiple players have tried to steal Jeremiah Smith, which obviously didn't work. One program had an epic amount of tampering with Ohio State football players, which also failed.
One player who was rumored to possibly be leaving is receiver Carnell Tate. Tate was the third receiver on the team in 2024. He didn't get a ton of opportunities to show just how great he is. That's why his name came up in transfer rumors. He came out and firmly stated his love for Ohio State.
Carnell Tate reiterated his love for the Ohio State football program
In a recent interview with 10 TV's Adam King, Tate is perplexed as to why his name came up in rumors, but he quickly shut down any notion of him transferring away.
Two quick notes from talking with Carnell Tate:
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) February 24, 2025
- He's excited for Brian Hartline to take over the offense
- He doesn't know where the idea he was leaving started... "I bleed Ohio State"
It feels like Tate is one of the most underrated receivers going into next season: pic.twitter.com/8HLxKMlXnm
Tate loves the Buckeyes, and he loves Brian Hartline. He loves the program. Now that Emeka Egbuka is heading to the NFL, he becomes the second receiver on the depth chart. That gives him a much bigger role in the offense. His numbers should go up, even with a new starting quarterback.
At a lot of other programs, Tate would be the number-one receiver. With the Buckeyes, he was the third guy on a national championship team. Now, he gets the opportunity to get more targets and more catches. He's still behind Smith, but everyone else in the country would be too.
It's good to see that Tate is committed to staying in Columbus. He's a really good player, and the Buckeyes are better with him on the roster. Ohio State has a lot of other talented receivers, but Tate adds a lot of value that some of the other guys can't. I can't way to see how Hartline uses him.