Whenever you’re talking about Ohio State football, the one position that continues to come to mind is wide receiver. No program puts more talent into the NFL at that position than the Buckeyes, and that trend looks set to continue in the 2026 NFL Draft with Carnell Tate.
Tate is second on the team in receiving behind sophomore Jeremiah Smith, posting 793 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s been a major part of this year’s offense under first-time offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and first-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin. The result has been an undefeated regular season, with the Buckeyes ranked No. 1 in the country.
While Tate’s name can sometimes get overshadowed as just another potential first-round receiver out of Ohio State, the comparisons he’s drawing are starting to command serious attention. His latest, from ESPN’s Matt Miller, compares him to Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson — a comp guaranteed to perk up NFL scouting departments.
Carnell Tate Given Comp to Justin Jefferson by ESPN
Jefferson was taken No. 22 overall out of LSU in the 2020 NFL Draft. Since then, all he’s done is win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, earn two First-Team All-Pro honors and make four Pro Bowls.
But Miller clarified that his comparison is based on Jefferson’s LSU tape — not the NFL superstar he became.
“I know, I know … this sounds wild. But it’s on point when comparing Tate to what Jefferson was at LSU — not what he is doing now in the NFL,” Miller wrote. “Both are 6-foot-3 and around 200 pounds. They each excelled as route runners while also being dominant on 50-50 balls thanks to vertical skills and body-adjustment ability. I’m not predicting Tate will take the NFL by storm and become a top player as quickly as Jefferson did, but their skill sets are very similar when evaluating where they were entering the draft.”
If matched against Jefferson’s LSU résumé, the comparison gets even more interesting. In 34 games at LSU, Jefferson posted 165 catches, 2,415 yards and 24 touchdowns. In 2019, he co-led the nation in receptions (111) while helping LSU win the national championship.
Tate, in 37 games, has totaled 114 catches for 1,790 yards and 13 touchdowns — and he also owns a national championship ring from 2024. With the Buckeyes set for the Big Ten Championship against Indiana and likely bound for the College Football Playoff, Tate still has at least two more games to build his numbers.
Carnell Tate’s Latest 2026 NFL Draft Projection
If he stays healthy, Tate is widely expected to be the next Ohio State first-round receiver. The NFL is already stacked with Buckeye wideouts, including three currently ranked inside the top 20 in receiving this season — headlined by Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is on pace to break a single-season yardage record.
In his latest 2026 mock draft, CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has the Miami Dolphins selecting Tate at No. 12 overall.
“Tate is a long strider with a big catch radius and reliable hands who makes contested catches downfield look easy,” Wilson wrote. “He flashes quickness and short-area agility to create separation at the top of his route and has the ability to make defenders miss after the catch. His ball-tracking, route-running, and ability to operate in space make him a Day 1 impact player at the next level.”
The description mirrors Miller’s evaluation almost perfectly. Tate is clearly positioned to thrive in the NFL. Whether he ultimately proves to be the next Justin Jefferson — that part will have to wait.
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