Ryan Day makes it clear where Ohio State stands at key positional group after NFL Draft and transfer portal
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a season where their offense was unbelievably loaded. The 2025 NFL Draft showed how good they were, producing 14 total picks and seeing all major contributors selected besides center Seth McLaughlin. But, for as talented as the 2024 offense was and how many bodies departed, Ohio State head […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a season where their offense was unbelievably loaded. The 2025 NFL Draft showed how good they were, producing 14 total picks and seeing all major contributors selected besides center Seth McLaughlin.
But, for as talented as the 2024 offense was and how many bodies departed, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day thinks there's at least one room that has improved. Earlier this week, Day said the tight end room is as good as its ever been since he started with the program.
The Buckeyes added one of the best tight ends in the nation in the transfer portal, Max Klare. The former Purdue star might be the best pass catcher at tight end Day has coached. He'll at least be used as often as Cade Stover was.
Losing Gee Scott Jr. to the NFL might sting a tad, but Klare will more than make up for his departure. Behind Klare will be blocking specialists Will Kacmarek and Bennett Christian, and receiving threat Jelani Thurman.
The Buckeyes certainly have options and experience at the position for once.
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 Donaldson to face light boxes and gives Sayin as many athletes out wide as possible.
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.
