Spring Recap: Tight End Depth, Talent Were On Display

With spring football now in the rearview mirror for Ohio State, it’s time to look back at what happened with each position group and where things currently stand for the Buckeyes. We continue our series with the tight ends.

Quick Position Overview

There were 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.

Expectations Going In

The expectation going in was that Max Klare would ease himself into the Ohio State offense and feel his way through. Will Kacmarek wouldn’t need much work because of his experience, which would allow more snaps with the ones for Jelani Thurman and Bennett Christian.

Reality Coming Out

Will Kacmarek was held out for much of spring with a left leg injury but will be full go in time for summer workouts. Max Klare, Bennett Christian, and Jelani Thurman all took snaps with the ones and twos and were comfortable doing so. Overall, the group was as deep and interchangeable as expected.

Any Surprises?

Freshman Nate Roberts showed up repeatedly as a pass catcher this spring when reporters were in attendance. There really isn’t any need for Roberts to be called upon this season, but it was good to see him making plays so early in his career. It was easy to see why tight ends coach Keenan Bailey was so high on him in recruiting.

Unanswered Question

How deep will the rotation be this year? Five Ohio State tight ends played in the national title game last season, and it wasn’t because the game was a blowout. Keenan Bailey had five guys he could call upon at any given time. Two of those guys — Gee Scott, Jr. and Patrick Gurd — are gone, but Max Klare will certainly add to the rotation. Can redshirt freshman Max LeBlanc see action this year? If not, four is plenty, but Bailey has shown he’ll play whoever is ready.

So Now What?

So now Keenan Bailey prepares for what is undoubtedly The Year of the Tight End. This is going to be a very good group for the Buckeyes, but expectations still must remain relative to the composition of this team. Max Klare caught 51 passes last year at Purdue, but Boilers quarterback Hudson Card didn’t have Jeremiah Smith or Emeka Egbuka on his team as options. Klare may need 16 games to match last year’s total, but he’s got more important concerns now that he’s a Buckeye.

One Concern

Is there an H-back or fullback type of tight end on the roster this year? Patrick Gurd was the de facto fullback last year. Is there somebody on this team that fits that role this year? Keenan Bailey has called Will Kacmarek the best blocking tight end in the nation, but he’s going to be used on the line of scrimmage. Can Bennett Christian or Jelani Thurman be used in that spot more than they have been, or is this a prime gig for an athletic — but smaller — tight end like Max LeBlanc?

Are We Sure?

Are we sure that the Buckeyes don’t have four starting-quality tight ends on the roster? The Buckeyes are going to play a lot of 12 personnel this year (one back, two tight ends), and they can mix and match whoever they’d like within that set up. Can Jelani Thurman continue to develop into a passing threat and team with Max Klare as the two flex tight ends, while Will Kacmarek and Bennett Christian do the dirtier work near the line of scrimmage? Klare may be at the head of the class in terms of production and expected number of starts this year, but Kacmarek is as much a starter as anybody else on this team. Christian and Thurman continue to grow, and can be called upon in the fourth quarter of a close game. There are a number of talented moving parts with this tight end room.

Quotable

“Coach Kee, he hit on all the things I wanted to hear and some things I didn’t want to hear. And that’s real as a coach and you want to be in an environment that’s going to push you in all aspects of the game. And being a tight end, it’s not just about pass catching. You’ve got to block. That’s something that I want to keep developing, and going against these guys every day. Running routes and blocking these guys every day, it’s going to make you better. I have a vision of where I want to be as a tight end and I think this place gives me the best opportunity to do that.” — Max Klare on how Ohio State is going to make him a better tight end.