Marvin Harrison Jr. appeared in the second year. Emeka EgbukaBefore them, the same applied to Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Chris Olavealso and to a certain extent Garret Wilson.
For Ohio State’s wide receivers, sophomore breakthroughs are a thing, a trend, a spectacle, maybe all of the things rolled into one.
Carnell Tate wants next.
“I feel like now is my time,” Tate said Friday. “If not now, when? I feel like I’m ready to take on that bigger role as we move forward.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Tate had more targets (28), receptions (18) and receiving yards (264) as a true freshman than Harrison, Smith-Njigba and Olave as first-year players for the Buckeyes.
But in 2024, Tate is aiming for 1,000 receiving yards and wants to become the go-to guy for Ohio State’s offense.
“I’m better everywhere,” said the 6-foot-3, 195-pound sophomore. “I’ve been in the slot, I’ve been outside, as you can see. I’m better everywhere. The routes have gotten better, I’ve gotten faster, I’ve gotten bigger, I’ve gotten stronger.”
Tate reiterated: “I’m feeling better everywhere and I feel good.”
The Chicago native radiated confidence at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, acknowledging only that his classmate and former South Florida Express 7-on-7 teammate Brandon Inniss talks more nonsense than he does. Except that Tate then added: “When I get going, I can be a hothead.”
“Carnell’s ceiling is huge,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said earlier this week. “I don’t think there’s a ceiling to what he can do. … He’s definitely talented. I think that’s the first thing I noticed when he got here, is how precise his routes are. He takes pride when he goes out there and knows exactly what he’s doing. He comes prepared. He’s tough. The guys on this team really like him for who he is. And he showed last year that he can do it.
“So he’s going to have to be a big contributor to our offense this year if we’re going to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”
Tate was the first member of the Buckeyes’ 2023 signing class to take off his black stripe last year. He was the talk of the town in the spring, and he made an impression from the start in the fall.
As a true freshman, Tate played 292 offensive snaps, the 13th most of any Buckeyes player in 2023, according to PFF. He also played 102 special teams snaps, including 85 total snaps on kick and punt returns.
Tate was targeted 28 times, fifth most on the team. He caught 18 passes for 264 yards and scored one touchdown. His touchdown came in Week 3 against Western Kentucky, as the backup quarterback Devin Brown Tate placed 28 yards further down the field for six.
Tate’s longest reception of the season was 55 yards, most of which came after the catch at Purdue. That was part of a two-game streak in which he had three consecutive receptions, the second of which came in a top-10 matchup against Penn State.
The IMG Academy product dropped a few passes last year, but from the way he spoke Friday, it’s clear that two dropped passes is too many in his eyes.
Brian Hartline, Ohio State’s co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach, said Tate probably has the hardest hands on the team.
“I catch everything,” Tate said. “The ball is thrown my way, I make a play. That’s what he means by that.”
Tate later added: “Just focus. You can’t beat yourself up about it. Catching is a mental game. If you start dropping the ball, you can beat yourself up and stuff. So you have to build confidence by continuing to catch the ball.”
Tate has been a star performer in training camp this year, climbing the ladder to catch some balls, reaching back to catch others, and repeatedly ripping the ball away from his body.
Hartline described Tate as a versatile receiver who absorbs the details of an attack and, when mistakes occur, is not a repeat offender.
“It doesn’t really matter where you put Carnell,” Hartline said. “He will do his job well and create a competitive advantage.”
Tate is no longer a true freshman who hasn’t yet reached his full potential. He’s a year older. He’s more confident. He’s ready to take off.
“You’re going to see me play ball and talk trash,” Tate said.
