Carnell Tate, Ohio State’s other 5-star WR, is OK doing the dirty work — but don’t take him for granted

ATLANTA — If you’ve watched any Ohio State football this fall, you know about phenom Jeremiah Smith and you’re probably familiar with his running mate Emeka Egbuka. 

The 1-2 punch at wide receiver makes the Buckeyes difficult on most days, impossible on others. But think about this: If you would have told any Texas Longhorns fan that Smith would finish the Cotton Bowl against them with one catch for three yards, and Egbuka would have five for 51 yards, they would take that in a heartbeat and booked their exorbitantly expensive trip here to Atlanta. 

But the problem with attempting to defend Ohio State is they have another receiving threat who, at least in quarterback Will Howard’s opinion, could be a No. 1 wide receiver at most schools in the country: Carnell Tate. Against the Longhorns, Tate had seven catches for 87 yards, the second-most receiving yards a vaunted Texas secondary had allowed to a wideout in its prior seven games. 

“I always knew the ball could come my way, but sometimes it comes my way more than others,” Tate told CBS Sports this weekend, ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. “That game, it came my way more than it usually does. I just feel honored to put the team on my back and help the team come here.” 

Tate is the engine of the Ohio State receiver corps. He’s content to do dirty work and excel with low volume and without the ball in his hands. Tate has a 78% catch rate, with 50 receptions on 64 targets throughout the season for 698 yards. He’s the third option for the Buckeyes as far as raw production is concerned, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s just a bit player on this team as he does hard to quantify things well. 

“I think to be a great receiver, you have to be…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/carnell-tate-ohio-states-other-5-star-wr-is-ok-doing-the-dirty-work-but-dont-take-him-granted/

Author : Richard Johnson

Publish date : 2025-01-19 21:12:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.