While the Ohio State Buckeyes are the defending National Champions, they're in for a tough challenge in 2025. Replacing most of their starting offense and defense, plus multiple coordinator changes, creates opportunity and uncertainty. While the chance for growth over time is attractive, any hiccups in balancing getting the best players today on the field with catering to the long-term roster outlook are a tough task for Ryan Day.

For as great as it is to add dynamic playmakers to the roster via the transfer portal, getting win-now stars can disrupt the natural flow of how recruiting is purposefully stacked. Not that Ohio State will complain if top addition Max Klare wins the program's first John Mackey Award winner, or the first tight end to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since Rickey Dudley in 1995.

On the latest episode of The Beat with Austin Ward and Jeremy Birmingham, the insiders projected Klare's production this season. Birmingham went so far as to say that while Klare will obviously not become the team's top option over Jeremiah Smith, he will be the second-leading receiver.

"I think you're talking 55 catches or so for Max Klare, he is going to be a First Team All-American, and I think he is a first-round pick at tight end," Birmingham stated.

The concern with this stat line is that if Smith gets his 1,000 yards in the regular season, Klare rivals Carnell Tate's numbers from last year (52 receptions for 733 yards), and then Tate repeats his production, then there's a lack of opportunity for others.

The Buckeyes would still have some leftover market share from what Emeka Egbuka reached in 2024, plus the departures of TreVeyon Henderson and Gee Scott Jr. But is it enough to keep Brandon Inniss, Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter, and Bryson Rodgers engaged throughout 2025?

It's questionable, and the Buckeyes' ridiculous pipeline of talent would almost surely be purged a bit entering 2026 if Klare takes on that much of a spotlight. Porter, Bodpegn Miller, and Chris Henry Jr. could be ready to line up next to Smith right away, but does Ohio State want to see Tate, Inniss, and/or Graham bolt so quickly?

Figuring out a rotation with immensely gifted options is part of the unique offensive coordinator Brian Hartline must balance with Sayin taking over the offense.

Klare is a 6-foot-4, 240-pounder who hauled in 51 passes on 75 targets for 684 yards and four touchdowns last season. The third-year tight end has two more seasons of eligibility. And those two seasons could bring an offensive attack that looks vastly different than what Day has unleashed in the last few years.

Klare's usage at Purdue reveals someone who is not just an inline blocker and receiver like so many previous Ohio State tight ends, or a quasi-receiver like Gee Scott Jr. Klare played almost 47% of his snaps in the slot and 48% inline in 2024. Those are almost identical to Cade Stover's alignments in 2023.

Stover caught 41 passes on only 51 targets for 576 yards and five touchdowns before getting drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Farmer Gronk was as reliable as receiving tight ends come, but he wasn't the fastest or most versatile option despite his consistency and efficiency. 

Klare is visibly more athletic before the catch point, but isn't as reliable finishing through contact. That's okay, as Ohio State may be going with a power spread attack that allows CJ Donaldson to face light boxes and gives Sayin as many athletes out wide as possible.

Or Klare could be the power slot receiver. Either way, that's what is driving Birmingham's projections.

The fun of getting Klare is just how natural he is in various roles. He produced an average of 6.6 yards after the catch, and his average depth of target was 8.9. With only five drops and a 53.8% contested catch win rate, Klare is truly a rare tight end weapon on the collegiate level.