Better Know a Buckeye: Nate Roberts’ Versatility As a Blocker, Athleticism With Ball in His Hands Could Make Him the Next Great Tight End at Ohio State

Growing up just 14 miles outside of Norman, Oklahoma, Nate Roberts was expected to suit up for Oklahoma once he became a prominent football prospect in the 2025 class. But the cycle's 10th-best tight end (No. 202 overall) had other plans.

While Oklahoma fans like to say “Boomer Sooner,” Roberts chose to create a #BOOM by committing to Ohio State instead, believing Columbus was the best place for him to develop as both a player on the field and as a person off the field.

How He Became a Buckeye

When Ohio State offered Roberts on May 16, 2023, he became the seventh tight end in the class to receive an offer from the Buckeyes. That said, he instantly became the top priority at the position for Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey. Less than a month later, Roberts visited Columbus, quickly putting Ohio State among his top suitors.

Roberts was committed to Notre Dame at the time, but he decommitted from the Fighting Irish that August as his interest in the Buckeyes grew. Ohio State eventually became the favorite to land Roberts over his hometown Sooners and others such as Oregon.

Roberts eventually committed to Ohio State in April 2024, citing his relationships with Bailey and Ryan Day and Ohio State’s vision for his future.

High School Years

As a freshman, Roberts showcased his athleticism by playing varsity snaps at tight end, defensive end and even quarterback.

In his sophomore season at Washington High School, Roberts helped lead his team to a 17-0 record and a state title while totaling 33 catches for 705 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.

Nate Roberts (@nateroberts2025) , #OhioState TE commit, ranks #3 in Oklahoma with a solid 81.9 IGA Score!

Get your #IGAScore here: https://t.co/UFKB2eX8pa pic.twitter.com/8g4goZwDoJ

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 6, 2024

As a junior, Roberts caught 38 passes for 816 yards and eight touchdowns, totaling 479 yards after catch. Much like his sophomore campaign, his team went undefeated and won the state championship.

To cap his high school career, Roberts notched 52 receptions for 978 yards and 14 touchdowns while lining up both on the line of scrimmage and out wide.

COUNT THE BROKEN TACKLES

4 TE and Ohio State commit Nate Roberts with a phenomenal play for a touchdown.

(via @ParkerThune)
pic.twitter.com/y4eUZxUKNm

— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) August 30, 2024

Throughout his high school career, Roberts showcased his ability to be effective as both a pass-catcher and blocker while playing snaps both on the line of scrimmage and outside. It's the type of versatility that he believes will give him a leg up as a Buckeye.

“I don’t want to be known as only a pass-catching or blocking tight end, I want to be known as both,” Roberts told Eleven Warriors after receiving an offer from OSU. “If you watch my film, you’ll see that I block just as much as I catch. I can do both. Ohio State uses the tight ends in both positions, they don’t just use them on the line or in the H-back position. I think with me being able to do both, I can learn both positions at Ohio State and I can learn so much more and get more playing time if I work hard enough.” 

Immediate Impact

While the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Roberts already has the size of a Big Ten tight end, the position is one of the more developmental in college football. That, paired with Ohio State having arguably the best tight end room in the country this fall with Max Klare, Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian and Jelani Thurman leading the way, means Roberts' likeliest path to the field in his first season in Columbus will be on special teams.

As an early enrollee, Roberts used the spring to not only gain some much-needed experience at the college level throughout practice, but developing while learning from his coaches and peers as well.

"It's definitely a big change, but just how we've been doing so far has been going great," he said during spring practice. "Coach Kee's doing a good job with me and just my development so far, just getting used to all the tight ends and just like the speed of practice. It's a big step from where I've been in Oklahoma to here in Columbus, it's a big change. I'm around the best guys, best players in the nation, so it's been going good."

He capped his first spring at Ohio State by catching four passes for 41 yards during the spring game in April.

Long-Term Impact

Much like every other room for the Buckeyes' skill positions, the tight end group will likely always have plenty of big-time players fighting for playing time year in and year out.

That said, Roberts' size and athleticism paired with his potential to be both a dominant blocker and a threat in the passing game will eventually make him tough to keep him off the field. Expect him to start to receive some playing time as a sophomore before taking a bigger role as a junior, especially once he puts some additional weight on his college-ready frame and perfects his craft at tight end.

In time, it’s not hard to envision Roberts becoming an All-Big Ten-caliber tight end for the Buckeyes with his skill-set that should enable him to become an every-down player.

Player Comparison: Jeremy Ruckert

Ruckert's non-advanced stats might have been lower than expected during his time as a Buckeye, as the tight end mustered just 54 catches for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns during his four seasons at Ohio State. That said, he totaled 26 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns during his senior season while he was also an excellent run blocker for the Buckeyes, all of which was enough for him to be a third-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2022 NFL draft.

Roberts has a similar game to Ruckert and could very well surpass Ruckert as a blocker in due time. If that's the case, he will be the next tight end to make a name for himself in Columbus before becoming an NFL draft pick.