Tate with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024
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| Tennessee Titans | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Roster status | Unsigned draft pick |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 19, 2005 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| College | Ohio State (2023–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: 1st round, 4th overall |
| Career history | |
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| Awards and highlights | |
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| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Carnell Tate (born January 19, 2005) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). Tate played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning the 2024 national championship before being selected fourth overall by the Titans in the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Tate was born on January 19, 2005, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended Marist High School his freshman and sophomore years. As a freshman, he caught 28 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns, with his sophomore year being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Prior to his junior year in 2021, he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.[2]
Tate was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 22 prospect nationally at the end of the recruiting cycle. He received 37 total scholarships in his time at IMG, including schools such as Ohio State, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, and Arizona. On June 20th, 2022, Tate officially announced his commitment to Ohio State.[3][4]
College career
Tate entered a crowded wide receiver room in his freshman season at Ohio State in 2023.[5] He scored his first collegiate touchdown against Western Kentucky with a 28-yard reception from Devin Brown.[6] He finished the season appearing in all 13 games, recording 18 receptions for 264 yards and the one touchdown.[7] Tate became a starter across from Jeremiah Smith his sophomore year in 2024.[8] On November 16, in his return to his hometown, he caught two touchdown passes in the Buckeyes' 31–7 win over the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field.[9] He played a big role in the playoffs for Ohio State, with seven catches for 87 yards in their 28–14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic.[10] Ohio State finished the season beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football National Championship 34–23.[11] For the season, he started all 15 games and had 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns. Tate returned to Ohio State for his junior season in 2025 again as a starter across from Smith.[12] He finished the season with 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. On January 6, 2026, Tate declared for the 2026 NFL draft.[13]
Tate is majoring in sports industry at Ohio State. He currently has five total academic honors to date so far during his time at Ohio State. He has gotten two OSU Scholar-Athlete awards, two Academic All-Big Ten honors, and finally the Big Ten's Distinguished Scholar Athlete award. To earn this award, a student must have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors the previous academic year, maintained full-time enrollment, and have a grade point average of 3.70 or greater.[14]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1.89 m) |
192 lb (87 kg) |
31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
4.53 s | 1.61 s | 2.66 s | |||||
| All values from NFL Combine[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Tate was selected in the first round, fourth overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2026 NFL draft.[17]
Career statistics
College
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2023 | Ohio State | 13 | 0 | 18 | 264 | 14.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 15 | 15 | 52 | 733 | 14.1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 11 | 11 | 51 | 875 | 17.2 | 9 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 |
| Career | 39 | 26 | 121 | 1872 | 15.5 | 14 | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 0 | |
Personal life
Tate grew up in West Chicago and was raised by his mother, Ashley Griggs. In July 2023, his mother was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in West Garfield Park, Chicago.[18][19] He has often performs a "blowing a kiss" celebration in honor of her.[19]
References
- ^ Kaufman, Joey. "Ohio State football lands commitment from five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
- ^ https://www.beverlyreview.net/sports/article_05a4df54-6b01-11eb-9d5f-07d91d2c60a7.html
- ^ "Carnell Tate Timeline Events". 247sports.com. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
- ^ https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/football/2022/06/20/five-star-wide-receiver-carnell-tate-commits-ohio-state-football/7681090001/
- ^ https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2023/04/is-ohio-state-footballs-carnell-tate-making-a-spring-push-for-fall-playing-time.html
- ^ Kingsley, Bernelle (December 17, 2024). "40 Facts About Carnell Tate". Facts.net. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2024/08/ohio-state-footballs-next-superstar-receiver-says-hes-ready-for-the-spotlight-my-time-is-now.html
- ^ https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/08/09/ohio-state-football-wr-carnell-tate-sets-lofty-goal-for-2024-season/74740743007/
- ^ https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42430467/ohio-state-wr-carnell-tate-scores-2-tds-emotional-homecoming
- ^ 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/
- ^ "Ohio State Wins 9th National Title, Defeats Notre Dame 34-23". Ohio State. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
- ^ https://www.espn.com.au/college-football/story/_/id/47401322/ohio-state-college-football-carnell-tate-first-round
- ^ Thamel, Pete (January 6, 2026). "Ohio State star WR Carnell Tate declares for NFL draft". ESPN. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ^ Harrison, Phil. "Two Ohio State football players recognized as Big Ten 'Distinguished Scholar Athletes'". Buckeyes Wire. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Carnell Tate Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ "Carnell Tate College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ Wyatt, Jim (April 23, 2026). "Titans Select WR Carnell Tate in First Round of Thursday's NFL Draft". tennesseetitans.com. Tennessee Titans.
- ^ "Chicago shooting kills Ashley Griggs, mother of Ohio State football player Carnell Tate". ABC7 Chicago. July 17, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
- ^ a b "Ohio State's Carnell Tate Plays for His Late Mother: 'I Know She's Watching'". FOX Sports. November 1, 2025. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
External links
