Year of the tight end finally arrives

Ohio State fans across the internet have a running joke every year that it’s the year of the tight end for the Buckeyes. Talented tight ends arrive via the recruiting process or the transfer portal (or both) every year, but despite all the big talk from the coaches and players, the mythical year of the tight end never arrives.

But then… it did.

The proof came over the last few days at the NFL Draft. For the first time ever, the Buckeyes had a pair of tight ends selected in the same draft. The Los Angeles Rams selected Max Klare in the second round (61st overall). One round later, the Miami Dolphins picked Will Kacmarek in the third round (87th overall).

Both players seem like good fits for the teams that chose them.

Klare arrived as a transfer from Purdue with one season of eligibility remaining and performed well. The Guilford, Indiana native finished third among Ohio State pass catchers in 2025 with 43 receptions. According to the Ohio State media guide, that was the most for an OSU tight end since 1983, when John Frank tied his own school record for tight end receptions in a season, with 45.

Klare posted the third most in school history since such records were officially kept, surpassing Cade Stover’s 41 in 2023. The transfer tight end amassed 448 receiving yards and two touchdowns, serving more as a guy who could move the chains than a big-play threat.

While his numbers were better his final year in Purdue (51 receptions, 685 yards, four touchdowns), he was a primary weapon with the Boilermakers, who did not have a Jeremiah Smith or a Carnell Tate on the roster. Those were the only two Buckeyes with more receptions and yards than Klare in 2025.

With the Rams’ offense, Klare should be a good fit. He likely won’t be asked to do a lot of blocking, but Los Angeles will line him up all over in various formations and put him in situations to make plays in the passing game. It’s a great landing spot for him.

Like Klare, Kacmarek was a transfer portal player for the Buckeyes. Unlike Klare, the Ohio University transfer played two seasons at Ohio State. Kacmarek was more the blocking tight end for Ohio State, finishing with only 15 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns in 2025.

While that’s not a ton of production in the passing game, the St. Louis native provided a physical presence both in motion or from the end of the line to help in the run game.

Kacmarek, like Klare, also ended up in the right situation to suit his skillset. The Dolphins will look to be more physical and lean on the run game under new head coach Jeff Halfley, the former OSU defensive coordinator. Kacmarek can help with blocking while catching the ball well enough to help out with some surprise targets to help Miami pick up first downs and sustain drives.

While their numbers weren’t huge compared nationally with top seasons for tight ends, Klare and Kacmarek did about as much as one might reasonably expect in an offense that includes Smith, 2026 first-round draft pick Tate, and Brandon Inniss.

The two combined with Jelani Thurman, Nate Roberts, and Bennett Christian to put up good combined numbers from the position. Six touchdowns, 74 receptions, and 746 yards would be great numbers for a tight end. Ohio State used five to get there, but that’s because the Buckeyes had five that could get them there.

Unconventional or not, it was the closest thing we’ve seen to a year of the tight end in Columbus.

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