Carnell Tate said his decision had come in privately.
Letting it out in public was just a matter of a video being produced, something the college football world got to see on Monday afternoon.
The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver, who led the national program in receiving as a junior in 2021, picked Ohio State over Tennessee, Notre Dame and LSU.
Tate said the decision was based largely because of the group of coaches in Columbus working under Ryan Day.
"It was the coaching staff," Tate told SI. "I love the coaching staff and have built a strong bond with them. I know that my future is in great hands with them, and they will help me develop into a potential first-round pick and achieve all of my dreams and aspirations. It is a great program, overall."
The last interview Tate gave Sports Illustrated before the pick went public, was about development. The Chicago native has been steady on that being a deciding factor in his recruitment dating back to his time as an underclassman.
Now the 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect, who amassed more than three dozen scholarship offers throughout the recruiting process, is heading to the program that signed three wide receivers that went in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Buckeye wide receiver coach Brian Hartline gets most of the credit for said development, and he built a longstanding bond with Tate.
"He was very important in my decision," Tate said of Hartline. "He is one of the best. He continues to develop great players, like Chris (Olave), Garrett (Wilson) and now Jaxon (Smith-Njigba). So he was a very important guy for me. I know they are going to get receivers like me to the next level. They are a winning team, and they are just one step away from winning a natty.
"I am ready to be the next great receiver to come out of Ohio State."
Going into the decision, the industry feel for Tate was a battle between his childhood favorite program in Ohio State against the trendy program he had come to visit more than all others in 2022, Tennessee.
In the end, going back to the Midwest and playing closer to home in Chicago also factored into Monday's decision.
"It was big," Tate said of the homecoming appeal. "It is a great feeling to know that my family is going to be able to make it to all of the games, and it is only a road trip for them. It will be great to see my family at all of the games."
Ohio State has routinely signed elite wide receiver talent and the class of 2023 is off to a strong start with Tate joining Zephyrhills (Fla.) Wiregrass Ranch wide receiver Bryson Rodgers in the fold thus far. The Buckeyes are also major players for Brandon Inniss, Tate's 7-on-7 teammate who was on campus over the weekend for an official visit, as well as North Carolina native Noah Rogers.
Matt Ray contributed to this feature.
