Freshman Tight End Nate Roberts Joins Riley Pettijohn As First Two Ohio State Players to Lose Black Stripe in Fall Camp

Bailey went all-in on landing Oklahoma prospect Nate Roberts, a top-flight pass-catching prospect in the past cycle. The early returns have paid off.

Roberts and fellow freshman Riley Pettijohn became the first players to shed their black stripes in fall camp on Tuesday, as the pair can now call themselves "official" Buckeyes.

The Brotherhood just added some Juice and Versatility to the TE room, welcome @nateroberts2025 pic.twitter.com/nBsJMJUj6b

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 5, 2025

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end was considered the No. 203 prospect and No. 10 tight end in the 2025 recruiting class per 247Sports' composite rankings. In his senior season, Roberts notched 52 receptions for 978 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Max Klare, Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian and Jelani Thurman are likely to receive the bulk of Ohio State’s tight end reps this fall, but Roberts has the premier talent necessary to become a star in future years while giving the Buckeyes excellent depth this season.