The Ohio State football recruiting class of 2023 is complete and despite some murmurs of negativity in the crowd, this class is fantastic from top to bottom. One of the studs of this class is a five-star wide receiver out of Florida, Carnell Tate.
Tate is widely viewed as a top 25 prospect in the class of 2023 and a top five overall wide receiver in the class. The wide receiver room is stacked at Ohio State, but if any of the freshmen see time early, my bet is on Tate. Seeing action as a receiver as a true freshman is a tall task, but we are going to dive into why Tate looks up to the challenge.
Name: Carnell Tate
High School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Height: 6-feet, 2-inches
Weight: 180 pounds
5-Star Wide Receiver
Strengths
BOOM! 2023 5 ⭐️ WR Carnell Tate has committed to Ohio State! @carnelltate_ pic.twitter.com/QlvHFcokfK
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) June 20, 2022
Breaking It All Down
A jack of all trades, master of all types, Carnell Tate has the makings of a legit No. 1 target and has the potential to be the focal point of the entire offense. He has a large frame and knows how to use it by shielding defenders while the ball is in the air and also blocks extremely well down the field for his teammates.
Tate plays physically and is not afraid to put in the dirty work, catching passes at every level while putting a shoulder down to gain extra yards and sacrificing his body for the tough catch. He is already a legit route-runner who eats up a ton of space and stacks defenders downfield.
Ohio State Buckeyes -5 Star-WR Carnell Tate @OhioStAthletics @OhioStateOnBTN @OhioStateFB @OhioStateFB__ @ohiostatefb5 @ohiostatefb4 @ohiostateFB15 @BullsNor @ohiostatefb1 @OhioStateFBFan @_ohiostateFB @OSUUnleashed @OSUFOOTBALL_ @Buckeye_Nation @buckeyefbnation @OSUFootball2023 pic.twitter.com/Z2ntmuXpfD
— Sack Lunch Football (@SackLunchCFB) February 11, 2023
Weaknesses
Breaking It All Down
Carnell Tate is listed at 6-foot, 2-inches, and 180 pounds and appears to be fit the bill height-wise, but the 180 pounds may be a slight exaggeration. Even if Tate does sit at that weight, he will need to bulk up to compete in the Big Ten. He has a large frame though and it should be no issue for him to gain at least 15 pounds of muscle.
Tate is also lacking the shiftiness of some of the other elite receivers. He is a very explosive and powerful receiver who can make a move, but he is more of a one-cut long strider and less of a shake-and-bake guy.
Carnell Tate (@carnelltate_) getting the better of Kayin Lee in 1v1s a moment ago. pic.twitter.com/iM2WsjrnD5
— Matt Parker (@MattParkerLR) January 3, 2023
Comparison: Chris Olave
Chris Olave was named All-Big Ten three times from 2019-2021 before being drafted in the first round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2022 NFL Draft. Olave blew the doors off the NFL as a rookie being named All-Rookie and immediately becoming an NFL star.
It may seem like a lofty comparison, but Carnell Tate is one of my favorite prospects in this class with the ability to contribute at a high level immediately. Both Chris Olave and Tate are smooth receivers who can dominate deep. Tate is already a nuanced route-runner in the same mold as Olave and those are the traits that will allow you to see the field early at Ohio State.
It's Carnell Tate's turn for a touchdown from Dante Moore. Stick around for the O-H handshake. pic.twitter.com/fzBteU6QeF
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) January 7, 2023
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