Ohio State’s top tight end and starting center are both expected to be among the best in the country in 2025.
Max Klare was one of 46 tight ends named Friday to the John Mackey Award watch list, while Carson Hinzman was one of 40 centers named Friday to the Rimington Trophy watch list.
.@m4klare earns Preseason @JohnMackeyAward Watch List honors, for Nations Top Tight End pic.twitter.com/5rtPXs4ef1
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 8, 2025
A force up front, @HinzmanCarson has been named to the Rimington Watch List pic.twitter.com/2mBJ1MaLQg
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 8, 2025
Klare seeks to become Ohio State’s first-ever winner of the Mackey Award. After catching 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns last year at Purdue, Klare was also named earlier this week to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which honors college football’s top pass-catcher.
Hinzman looks to continue Ohio State’s impressive history with the Rimington Trophy, which Ohio State centers have won four times since the award was first presented in 2020. Seth McLaughlin won the award last season; if Hinzman follows in his footsteps, it would be the second time Ohio State centers won the Rimington in back-to-back seasons, as Pat Elflein and Billy Price won the award in consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.
With just one more major award watch list set to be released Monday – the Bednarik Award watch list – a dozen Ohio State players have earned placements on award watch lists ahead of the 2025 season. The full list:
- RB CJ Donaldson: Doak Walker Award
- S Caleb Downs: Thorpe Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year
- LS John Ferlmann: Mannelly Award
- C Carson Hinzman: Rimington Trophy
- DT Eddrick Houston: Outland Trophy
- CB Davison Igbinosun: Thorpe Award
- TE Max Klare: Biletnikoff Award, Mackey Award
- LB Arvell Reese: Butkus Award
- WR Jeremiah Smith: Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Biletnikoff Award
- LB Sonny Styles: Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy
- WR Carnell Tate: Biletnikoff Award
- RG Tegra Tshabola: Outland Trophy
