Ohio State enters 2026 with a tight end room that no longer has the neat split it did a year ago. Max Klare gave the Buckeyes a vertical receiving threat who could create problems in space, while Will Kacmarek handled the bruising side of the job, lining up next to tackles, fighting defensive ends, sealing edges and giving Ryan Day a dependable option in heavy sets.
Now the assignment is different. Ohio State wants one player to absorb both jobs, and that player is expected to be Nate Roberts.
The former four-star recruit is projected to open the season as TE1, but that label only tells part of the story. Roberts is being pushed to become the kind of tight end every offense wants but very few actually get: a player who can run down the seam, cave in the edge on an outside zone play, stay in to protect Julian Sayin, and then shift around the formation without tipping off the defense.
If he gets there, Ohio State’s offense gets a lot more dangerous. If he doesn’t, the Buckeyes can still be strong, but one of the offense’s most valuable pieces may never fully come together.
Roberts arrived in Columbus with a reputation that matched the hype. The Oklahoma native closed his high school career with 42 catches for 848 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior, averaging more than 20 yards per reception. At 6-foot-5 and about 240 pounds, he had the build of a classic inline tight end, but his movement skills made him stand out from the start.
Ohio State saw more than a pass catcher. Even as a true freshman, Roberts played in all 13 games and took on responsibilities that went far beyond route running.
He finished with four receptions for 30 yards, but that stat line barely hints at how he was used. The Buckeyes lined him up in line, used him as an H-back, moved him across the formation, asked him to split-zone block and even handed him the ball twice.
That kind of trust is unusual for a freshman tight end.
That matters because tight end is one of the hardest jobs in Ryan Day’s offense. The blocking changes from week to week.
The route tree can change from series to series. Protection calls require communication with the offensive line.
Freshmen usually don’t get all of that unless the staff believes they can become complete players, and Ohio State clearly thought Roberts could.
The challenge now is bigger. Last season, the room worked because the duties were divided.
Klare was the receiving piece. Kacmarek was the blocker.
Roberts is expected to do both, and that is what makes his role so intriguing.
In 12 personnel, he could be the one working the seam while Mason Williams handles more of the traditional blocking work. On the next drive, he could be attached to the line and lined up against an All-Big Ten defensive end. That kind of flexibility changes how defenses have to prepare.
Ohio State does not want opponents reading the formation and knowing what is coming. If Roberts is only a receiver, defenses can lean pass.
If he becomes a legitimate blocker, the Buckeyes can keep every option on the table. Outside zone, play-action, RPOs, vertical shots - Roberts gives them the chance to keep defenses guessing.
That versatility is what makes the position so valuable. The best tight ends do more than pile up catches.
They make the whole offense harder to defend. That is the role Ohio State believes Roberts can grow into.
He also won’t have to do it alone. Mason Williams is expected to take on a major workload as a trusted blocker after transferring from Ohio University.
Bennett Christian brings experience in the offense, and Northwestern transfer Hunter Welcing adds another veteran receiving option. That depth should let Roberts develop without carrying every responsibility at once.
Still, if Ohio State reaches its offensive ceiling, Roberts probably sits at the center of it. The Buckeyes have elite wide receivers.
They have one of the country’s most talented young quarterbacks in Julian Sayin. The offensive line brings back four starters and should be better with another year together.
What may complete the picture is a tight end who never has to come off the field because he can handle every situation. First-and-10.
Third-and-eight. Goal line.
Four-minute offense. Two-minute drill.
That kind of player keeps defenses from getting a read before the snap.
Ohio State has had great receiving tight ends. It has had strong blocking tight ends. Finding one who can do both at a high level has been much rarer.
Roberts has the athletic ability to become a dangerous target, and he could lead the tight ends in receptions. He could also become one of Sayin’s favorite options over the middle. But the plays that matter most may not show up in the box score - the block that springs Bo Jackson for a 30-yard run, the protection pickup that buys Sayin an extra beat to find Jeremiah Smith deep, the snap that keeps Roberts on the field no matter the personnel or situation.
Those are the details that separate a good tight end from a complete one. Ohio State already knows Roberts has the tools as a receiver. The question for 2026 is whether he can be just as reliable in every other part of the position.
If he can, the Buckeyes won’t just have a new TE1. They may have their most complete tight end in years, and one of the quietest difference makers on an offense built to chase another national championship.
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