TAMPA, Fla. – When Carnell Tate heard his name called while waiting in the green room at the NFL draft in Pittsburgh on Thursday evening, he became the sixth Ohio State receiver in the last five years to be selected in the first round.
Tate, who averaged 15.5 yards on 121 receptions in three seasons in Columbus, did not have to wait long as the Tennessee Titans selected him at No. 4.
During a post-selection video press conference (go to 25:30 mark) hosted by the team, Tate praised USF coach Brian Hartline for preparing him for this stage.
Hartline, a former Ohio State and NFL receiver, was the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and receivers coach the past three seasons under Ryan Day and worked with the program’s wideouts dating to 2017.
“It starts with coach Hartline,” said Tate. “He pours so much love and attention into us. He sets us up for the next level. That’s why our game so easily translates to the next level.”
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Five straight years Hartline was instrumental in developing six first-round receivers at his alma mater. Here are those who preceded Tate.
2025: Emeka Egbuka | No. 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Egbuka helped lead the Buckeyes to the national championship in the 2025 season by snagging 81 passes for 1,101 yards. He concluded his career at Ohio State with a school-record 205 receptions. He was 63-938-14.9-6 as a rookie with the Bucs.
2024: Marvin Harrison Jr. | No. 4 | Arizona Cardinals
The 2023 Heisman finalist and Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver holds the Ohio State career mark with 15 games of at least 100 receiving yards. Harrison has 103 receptions (12 TDs) in 29 games with the Cardinals.
2023: Jaxson Smith-Njigba | No. 20 | Seattle Seahawks
Smith-Njiba was a first-team All-American in 2021 after establishing single-season school records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606). He capped the reason with an all-time bowl record 347 receiving yards in a Rose Bowl win against Utah. His 1,793 receiving yards led the NFL in 2025.
2022: Garrett Wilson | No. 10 | New York Jets
The first of two straight first-round selections, Wilson was coming off a 2021 season in which he caught 70 passes for 1,054 yards and 12 TDs to earn first-team All-American honors. He had a career-best 101 receptions with the Jets in 2024 before a knee injury cut short his 2025 season.
2022: Chris Olave | No. 11 | New Orleans Saints
The 2020 and 2021 first-team All-American set the Ohio State career record with 35 touchdown receptions, a mark that still stands. He caught a career-high 100 passes for the Saints last season and has 291 career receptions.
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