Ohio State WR Carnell Tate expected to return to action against Oregon
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day confirmed Wednesday that sophomore wide receiver Carnell Tate is on track to play Saturday against No. 3 Oregon.
“Yeah,” Day said. “He had a good day of practice today.”
Tate was listed as “questionable” on the team’s availability report last week against Iowa but didn’t play. His injury was undisclosed.
Last weekend’s 35-7 win over the Hawkeyes marked the first time Tate has missed an Ohio State game. He appeared in all 13 games last season as a true freshman, a season in which he had more targets (28), receptions (18) and receiving yards (264) than Marvin Harrison Jr. (16 targets, 11 receptions, 139 receiving yards, three touchdowns), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (13 targets, 10 receptions, 49 receiving yards, one touchdown) and Chris Olave (16 targets, 12 receptions, 197 receiving yards and three touchdowns) tallied as first-year Buckeyes players, per Pro Football Focus.
Brandon Inniss, another second-year Ohio State wideout and Tate’s close friend, said it was difficult for Tate to sit out last last week against the Hawkeyes.
“He’s an ultra competitor, so he wants to be out there every single day, whether it’s practice or whatever it is,” Inniss said Wednesday. “So it was hard for him not to play. But for him to get back this week was very crucial.”
Tate is currently Ohio State’s third-leading receiver with 14 catches and 219 receiving yards, not to mention his catch-and-run touchdown in the opener against Akron. Plus, the IMG Academy product has emerged as a reliable perimeter blocker and pre-snap motion chess piece.
“I think Carnell’s done a really, really good job this year,” Ohio State quarterback Will Howard said earlier this season, “not just with the ball in his hands, but blocking and influencing guys without the ball. He’s really, really taken ownership of that. And he said, ‘It doesn’t matter if I have the ball in my hands or not.’”
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Howard added at the time: “That’s huge. There were some blocks that he made on some plays that turned some 10-yard gains into 20-25-yard gains, and that’s a difference maker. He’s done a really good job with that.”
Last month, Day described Tate’s accountability as “tremendous.” The Buckeyes count on him to be a major part of their 2024 offense.
They’ll have him back for a top-three showdown against Oregon Saturday evening in Eugene.
“Carnell is certainly very, very talented,” Day said Wednesday. “He’s very intelligent, he works really hard, he’s a really good blocker when the ball’s not in his hands. He does a great job. He’s a very good route runner, good downfield, good underneath, run after the catch has been excellent.
“First off, it’s the production. Second thing, it’s his leadership. He’s’ a leader, even for a young player. So it’s great to have him back.”
