Spring Preview: Is Ohio State's Deepest Room At Tight End?

Overview

There are six scholarship tight ends on the roster this spring with a seventh joining in the summer. Will Kacmarek is a physical blocker who had a good first year for the Buckeyes in 2024. Ohio State went into the portal and added Purdue tight end Max Klare. Bennett Christian and Jelani Thurman played last year and will be expecting more time in 2025. Three freshman-eligible players may still be a ways away, but this is a deep group overall.

Scholarship Roster

Will Kacmarek, rSr, 6-6 260
Transferred in from Ohio last year to provide a blocking threat. Will continue to expand his game.

Max Klare, rJr, 6-4 240
The top portal tight end will give the Buckeyes their top receiving threat at the position since Cade Stover.

Bennett Christian, rJr, 6-6 260
Emerged last season as a legitimate contributor who is now one of the vocal leaders in the room.

Jelani Thurman, rSoph, 6-6 258
The potential has always been there but the competition at the position has limited his snaps. Responded well in the winter.

Max LeBlanc, rFr, 6-4 227
Redshirted last year as a true freshman. Talented pass-catcher still developing the rest of the tight end traits.

Nate Roberts, Fr, 6-5 235
One of the top tight end prospects in the class of 2025. Won’t be needed this year but also won’t be held back.

Brody Lennon, Fr, 6-4 225
Skilled true freshman who won’t enroll until June which virtually guarantees that he will redshirt this year.

For Starters

Ohio State is replacing starter Gee Scott, Jr., who finished the 2024 season with 27 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Will Kacmarek started six games last season despite missing four with an injured arm. Bennett Christian started a pair of games in Kacmarek’s absence as well. Newest Buckeye Max Klare brings in nearly 20 starts from Purdue. Even Jelani Thurman started a game as a true freshman in 2023. This is a deep and experienced room.

New Additions

Max Klare caught 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns last season as a redshirt sophomore at Purdue. He was the top tight end in the transfer portal by most accounts and he joined Ohio State knowing the kind of depth the Buckeyes had at the position. In a 50-49 loss at Illinois, Klare caught six passes for 133 yards. He was Boilermakers’ No. 1 target all season long. Note Roberts comes to Ohio State from Washington, Oklahoma where he was the No. 10 tight end in the class. Brody Lennon is from Ohio and ranked the No. 17 tight end in the nation (and No. 11 player in the state).

Spring Depth Chart

89	Will Kacmarek
85	Bennett Christian
15	Jelani Thurman
NA	Max Klare
86	Max LeBlanc
NA	Nate Roberts

What’s The Latest

Keenan Bailey told his room last year that they were the least-talented position room on the Ohio State football team, so they were going to have to succeed on toughness and execution. This year, they are deeper and more talented than last season, but they are still going to rely on that toughness and execution. They’ll be as physical as they can in spring ball, but their true value won’t be seen until they can start hitting other teams this fall.

Expectations

The Buckeyes are going to roll through all six of their tight ends this spring. Will Kacmarek probably doesn’t need too much work, so that will free some snaps up for others. Even though Max Klare has more career catches than everybody else in OSU’s room combined, he still needs to learn the Ohio State offense. He should be busy enough. A young guy like Max LeBlanc should be able to grow from the 15 practices this spring. Even though he’s just a redshirt sophomore at this point, Jelani Thurman has been so close for so long that he feels like a grizzled veteran. There is going to be a heavy focus on individual development for everyone so that when the fall camp battle starts, each contender is as well-equipped as possible to succeed.

Question Needing An Answer

How quickly does Max Klare move up the depth chart? In a room as experienced as this one, don’t expect Klare to just be placed at the head of the class. That’s not something that happens to most transfers at Ohio State. Buckeye coaches like to have the veterans show the transfers how things work, so that is how practice will likely begin. But what happens when Klare has both feet under him?

Breakout Candidate

Bennett Christian’s trajectory is an interesting one. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2022 and then having to sit out the 2023 season, he quickly became the No. 3 tight end last season. He only caught two passes last year, but is big and physical, and also emerging as a leader. Don’t be shocked to hear tight ends coach Keenan Bailey or head coach Ryan Day speaking highly of Christian this spring.

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