In the Ryan Day era, the Buckeye tight ends have not been what puts the fans in the seats. For most programs, that’s the case unless you’re Iowa, Penn State, or the early 2000s Miami (FL) Hurricanes. Ohio State has produced a few tight ends worthy of the NFL, but none have been transcendent as Ohio State has had at most other positions. Despite that, this year’s tight end room might be the best in a long time. Will they utilize them to the best of their ability? That’s the question.
2025 Buckeye Breakdown: The Tight Ends
The Top Two
After the Buckeyes trounced the Boilermakers last year, Lathan Ransom urged the coaching staff that if Max Klare hit the portal to go get him: “He’s one of the best tight ends that stood out on tape immediately every time we studied for them and prepared for them, so I’m excited how we’re going to use him next year.” Now, Klare is a Buckeye.
To be a threat in this Ohio State offense, a tight end has to block well and be a legitimate weapon as a receiver. To this point, with Day, only Cade Stover provided both. Klare is more skilled than Stover, but will he get to showcase that talent? Leading a team in receiving as a tight end is impressive, even for Purdue. He’s not going to eclipse 500 yards with a reduced snap count and usage, but his impact should be felt no matter how few snaps he’s fit in.
The leader of the Buckeye tight ends, and a potential Block O recipient, is Will Kacmarek. While he did not have a productive season as the receivers did, Kacmarek was an immediate leader of the tight ends. After putting up 507 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 and 2023 with Ohio, Kacmarek only recorded eight catches for 86 yards last year.
Kacmarek will lead the way in snaps due to his blocking chops. According to the Buckeye tight ends coach, Kacmarek is the best blocking tight end in the country. If PFF grades are your thing, Kacmarek earned a 68 for both his run and pass-blocking. While those don’t seem impressive, among tight ends, he’s one of the best. It’s going to be another quiet season for Kacmarek, statistically. He’s going to be one of the unsung heroes to make Julian Sayin‘s (or Lincoln Kienholz‘s) job that much easier.
Time to Break Through
Behind the top two, three others will earn some playing time, but we have yet to see what they can really do. Jelani Thurman has shown the most. Last year, Thurman only amassed 42 yards and a touchdown off four receptions. Two of those catches were critical. The first was a 19-yard heart-stopping, bobbling catch on 4th & 1 against Penn State. The second was a one-yard touchdown after he slipped behind the coverage after Indiana sold out to stop the run.
Before Klare transferred in, Thurman was the prospective breakout player of the Buckeye tight ends. He still can be if given the opportunity. Thurman is a natural receiver and could be one of those instances where a player is better in the NFL than he is in college.
After being suspended for the 2023 season, Bennett Christian had to take his lumps and earn his way back into the fold. As a result, he was the third tight end on the depth chart. It’ll be more of the same in 2025, as his strength, like Kacmarek’s, is blocking. As a receiver, Christian hauled in just two passes. One was a six-yard catch in mop-up duty against Michigan State. The other was an impressive 55-yard touchdown against Western Michigan. If the Buckeyes go heavy with three tight ends, Christian could have a role.
Finally, a wild card. Max LeBlanc was a true freshman in 2024 as a former four-star recruit. He earned just 14 snaps last year in four games, including the CFP First Round matchup against Tennessee. LeBlanc was used as a big slot receiver and amassed 884 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 49 passes as a senior. LeBlanc could use 2025 to continue his development to step into a larger role in 2026, with the (slight) possibility of three spots ahead of him opening up.
The Freshmen
At the bottom of the depth chart, Nate Roberts is buried. The 2025 recruit joins the Buckeyes as a four-star do-it-all player. When he received his offer, Roberts told Ohio State outlet ElevenWarriors, “I don’t want to be known as only a pass-catching or blocking tight end, I want to be known as both.” He is an adept blocker who can make plays with the ball in his hands. In his last season in high school, Roberts put up 978 yards and 14 touchdowns on 52 receptions.
The six-foot-five, 235-pound early-enrollee has been making headway and has evoked comparisons to Jeremy Ruckert, another athletic do-it-all tight end who was, unfortunately, underutilized.
Brody Lennon also joins the Buckeye tight ends room this fall. He’s a four-star athlete from Ohio and is another versatile, former two-way player. He will be a tad behind because he will be joining the team this fall, but he has an athletic profile that projects well for both him and the Buckeyes. In high school, he was also a do-it-all player, lining up just about everywhere on the offense. He will need to put on a little weight to be a weapon in the future, but as a freshman, he has time.
Neither Roberts nor Lennon is expected to play enough to burn a redshirt. Both will be working on their crafts to be considered in the rotation in 2026.
Top-to-bottom, the 2025 Buckeye tight ends could be the best in the Day era.
Main Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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