Carnell Tate Prospect Profile
Background
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Carnell Tate was always seen as a potential football star. He attended his first two years of high school at Marist High School, a Catholic all-boys prep school in Chicago, before transferring to sports hotbed IMG Academy for his junior and senior years. He continued to excel in football and ended up, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, as the 41st overall player and a four-star recruit. However, competing rankings from 247 and Rivals had Tate pegged as a top-5 WR in the class and a five-star recruit. After a competitive recruiting process, Tate chose to attend Ohio State before he started his senior year at IMG. Sadly, before he ever got to step on the field, on July 16th, 2023, Tate’s Mother was tragically killed in a shooting in Chicago. Since then, every time Tate scores a TD, he blows a kiss up towards the sky to honor his Mother.
Physical Attributes
Tate is a tall and lanky receiver. He is 6’3” tall and 191 lbs. Unlike some taller receivers, he utilizes his frame effectively. With his long arms, he makes aggressive plays on the ball that help him win out over DBs trying to cover him. He is not the fastest or most agile receiver in the world, but he is not severely lacking in those areas either. One of my favorite aspects of his game is that he appears to move faster with the ball in his hands than he does without it. Tate also uses his size to be an excellent blocker from the WR position as well.
Data and Tape Analysis
If you are unfamiliar with my WR radar charts, you can find more information here
Last year, when looking at Tate, I was torn on whether he was a sacrificial X or a true modern X. His role was often to get defenders away from Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, but with only one ball to go around, he played third fiddle. This year, with one less mouth to feed, it became clear that Tate was not out there to occupy space, but deserved it well within his own right.
His tape still shows his ability to be an elite drive extender and finisher. He catches first downs or TDs at a bonkers rate. Of his 92 receptions over the past two years, 63 were first downs or TDs. He is not out there running gimme routes to pad his stats. He is winning in some of the most difficult and tightly contested situations a receiver could face on a consistent basis.
His struggles against Man coverage were also abated by a significant improvement in that category in 2025. He learned to use his physical gifts and stripped away all extra movement to make his routes cleaner and more precise. He displayed the same nous in zone coverage as he had previously, showing how smart he is as a football player. He is a QB's best friend, settling in open zones, working back for scramble drills, and catching damn near everything thrown at him.
Yes, the data says his missed tackles forced and YAC per reception are low, but it is quite difficult to add to those numbers when you're busy making sideline toe taps, contested catches, or screaming past a DB to make a catch in the endzone. There is nothing in the way he moves to suggest those stats will limit him at the next level.
Plus, I love a WR who is willing to get his nose dirty and block with the intensity that Tate does.
Grade and Outlook
Carnell Tate answered nearly all of my questions this past year to ascend up the draft boards. It is almost hard to write about a guy who just does everything well. There is not a lot of flash or surprise in his game; it is just phenomenal execution over and over again. Ohio State has done it again.
Grade: 6.6 (1st Rounder)
