Right after THE Ohio State football team won the National Championship over Notre Dame, some of the celebrations were halted due to transfer rumors flying all over the place. More specifically, word around college football circles was that Jeremiah Smith would leave Columbus, potentially for Miami.
That didn't happen. Around the same time, there was plenty of speculation that fellow standout Buckeyes wideout Carnell Tate had one foot out the door, with teams offering him money to enter the portal. It didn't take long for those claims to be squashed too. Tate was asked about the transfer rumors and he shut things down in the best way possible:
Two quick notes from talking with Carnell Tate:
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) February 24, 2025
- He's excited for Brian Hartline to take over the offense
- He doesn't know where the idea he was leaving started... "I bleed Ohio State"
It feels like Tate is one of the most underrated receivers going into next season: pic.twitter.com/8HLxKMlXnm
Carnell Tate made it clear he was never thinking about leaving Ohio State this offseason
On Saturday night, 10TV's Adam King spoke with Tate at the Columbus Crew vs. Chicago game, a match the Crew won 4-2. Multiple topics were covered, including the transfer talk that was surrounding his name.
"The plan was never for me to leave," Tate said emphatically while speaking with King. "I don't know where that came from or where that started. I bleed Ohio State."
Open and shut case. Tate put his foot down on everything, assuring Buckeyes Nation that he indeed was never even thinking about leaving Columbus to play for a different program. While speaking with King, he also made it known he couldn't be happier for Brian Hartline.
With Chip Kelly bolting for the NFL, head man Ryan Day promoted Hartline to take his job, with him also set to call plays on offense. This will be a new role for the popular assistant, but Tate is confident he'll have things rockin' for OSU in 2025 and beyond.
Last campaign, Tate was a standout receiver for Will Howard, hauling in 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns. Howard is off to the NFL, but former 5-star prospect Julian Sayin is set to take over the QB1 job.
The tremendous news for Sayin is that he'll have Smith and Tate, one of the best WR duos in the country, to throw to. Tate is all-in on helping Ohio State repeat as the champs. Other fanbases who were trying to recruit him to their favorite teams sure wasted their time this offseason.