Over the past four years, Ohio State has nurtured five first-round wide receivers for the NFL, a feat unmatched in college football. And now, Ryan Day is about to make it six. The conveyor belt of talents like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka outlines the work behind the scenes. Add Carnell Tate to the list!

On October 9, Rookie Watch tweeted, “Carnell Tate is reportedly moving into ‘WR1 territory’ for some NFL scouts. Tate has reportedly ‘earned comparisons’ to Garrett Wilson (Jets WR) by several NFL evaluators 😳.” Tate’s NFL stocks are on fire after Week 6. Against Minnesota, Day’s wide receiver came up with nine receptions for 183 yards.  

The 20-year-old Tate is a cut above the rest in several areas. However, his USP lies in his vertical ability, especially on one-cut routes or double moves. With catches of 41, 48, and 49 yards against the Gophers per play, Tate is up to an FBS-best six receptions of 40-plus yards this season. Day’s receiver’s length and awareness come off as a bonus, making him a good receiver when working the sideline comes to play. And guess what? Tate is yet to register a drop in 2025. Even though he started as WR3 in Day’s squad, he has ticked off all the boxes in the list of expectations.

Against Minnesota, Tate was the rock of stability. Wearing the No. 17 jersey, he set the gridiron by storm. On the very first snap, Brian Hartline dialed up a dagger—Julian Sayin dropped a perfect bomb to Tate, who cruised for an effortless touchdown to make it 21-3. Many might wonder, being far below in the depth chart, how Tate’s luck will favor him in the NFL?

Well, in Day’s Ohio State, it is a blessing in disguise. It’s common for elite Buckeye receivers to line up as the second option. Moreover, Tate joins his predecessors in this. Garrett Wilson was picked no. 10 in the 2022 NFL Draft, Chris Olave was the 11th pick the same year, followed by no. 20 pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. as pick no. 4 in 2024, and this year’s No.19 pick, Emeka Egbuka—in particular—continues to impress.

Emeka Egbuka’s contribution amidst Carnell Tate’s growing NFL buzz

In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ latest face-off against the Seattle Seahawks, Egbuka came up with seven receptions, 163 yards, and one touchdown. When a former Buckeye wideout puts up such stats, it doesn’t just boost his own reputation; it elevates the entire Ohio State brand. It looks like Tate already has the eyes of the NFL big shots on him. 

Back in July, in one episode of CBS Sports’ With The First Pick podcast, former Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon filled in as the guest. “It’s known that he was the third receiver on this team. But when you look at the totality of that offense, he was also the fifth option behind the two backs. And so for him to have that type of production as a fifth option/No. 3 receiver, I think the ceiling is definitely pointing up for him there at Ohio State,” Carthon sounded confident.

Well, Tate did not wait for week 6 to rise to stardom. In week 1, he shocked Day and the fans with an acrobatic 40-yard touchdown catch against Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns. Within two games, the Buckeyes’ wide receiver had seven receptions, 118 yards, and two receiving touchdowns. The sudden surge of output left the scouts bringing out their crystal ball.

As Rookie Watch posted on Instagram, “Several NFL scouts reportedly believe Tate’s game could ‘resemble’ that of Calvin Ridley (Titans WR) at the NFL level.” The Atlanta Falcons drafted the former Alabama quarterback in the first round of the 2018 draft. 

Not just the NFL scouts, even Carnell Tate’s mate, Jeremiah Smith, could not help but praise him. “Last week showed that we got another dominant receiver on the other side of the field. So, I mean, you can’t just worry about me now. You got to worry about Carnell Tate, you got to worry about Brandon Inniss, you got to worry about Max Klare, you got to worry about the tight end,” said the wide receiver.

The future looks bright for Carnell Tate. Let’s see what’s in store for Tate in the NFL.