Ohio State used more 12 and 13 personnel in the 2025 season than in any of its previous six seasons under head coach Ryan Day. That's one running back and two (12) or three (13) tight ends, for those unfamiliar.
The Buckeyes' second-most-used tight end this past year, Max Klare, played 488 snaps behind Will Kacmarek's 509. No. 3 tight end Bennett Christian played 255 snaps, with Nate Roberts and Jelani Thurman seeing 160 and 135.
Despite Ohio State playing two more games in 2024 than in 2025, Kacmarek received just 298 snaps as the No. 2 tight end behind Gee Scott Jr.'s 548 atop the depth chart. Christian and Thurman got 235 and 165 snaps behind Kacmarek in a year that still involved plenty of packages with multiple tight ends.
In 2023, Scott received 350 snaps as the second TE, and no one outside of him and starter Cade Stover played more than 49. The No. 2, 3 and 4 TEs in 2022? 286, 140 and 35 snaps.
Two- or even three-tight end fronts can create tough surfaces for defenses to cover in the run game, with some versatile options in the passing game if players have a skill set like Klare's. Not that he was utilized to his full potential last season, but 43 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns is nothing to sneeze at. The input of tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator Keenan Bailey and Ohio State's perceived depth at the position also factored into the use of 12 and 13 personnel.
Max Klare played 488 snaps as Ohio State's second-most-used tight end in 2025, just behind Will Kacmarek's 509.
The offseason moves made by the Buckeyes reinforced the continuation of those sets as part of their offensive identity, both in transfers and in coaching. Not that Ohio State won't continue to deploy three wide receivers as its base offense, but the steady inclusion of multi-tight end packages doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
Two's Company
Ohio State bolstered its rotation at the tight end position with two transfer portal acquisitions: Ohio's Mason Williams and Northwestern's Hunter Welcing.
Williams is a blocking tight end in the mold of Kacmarek. Both even played their previous football at the same college. Williams contributed 26 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns to the Bobcats last year, but more impressively posted a run-blocking grade of 66.7 on Pro Football Focus. That mark outperformed one of two of Ohio's starting offensive linemen, tackle Jordon Jones (65.5) and guard Trent Allen (58.9). Williams allowed just one pressure and no sacks in 39 pass-blocking snaps.
Welcing finally earned a starting job with the Wildcats in his sixth year of college football and collected 28 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. The now seventh-year senior didn't grade out nearly as well as Williams as a blocker – he had a run-blocking grade of 50.6 on PFF – but could have untapped receiving potential. Northwestern only had the No. 108 passing offense nationally in yards per game last season.
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But the truest receiving threat in the ranks of Ohio State's 2026 tight end room could be the sophomore Roberts. He overtook Thurman, a redshirt sophomore, as a freshman and holds the pedigree of a top-10 tight end prospect in the recruiting class of 2025. He posted four receptions for 30 yards during the season after an impressive four-catch, 41-yard performance in the Buckeyes' spring game.
Christian, a redshirt senior, completes the quartet of talents atop Ohio State's depth chart at tight end. He's had great stretches as a blocker the last few years, but needs to find more consistency as he competes for playing time in his last campaign. Regardless, the Buckeyes have four bodies that they'll feel good about rotating into games.
Arthur of Destiny
What other reason is there to suspect more doses of 12 and 13 personnel out of Ohio State in 2026? It hired a man considered one of the NFL's foremost experts on such groupings as offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.
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As Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator in 2025, Smith selected 12 or 13 personnel on 47.4% of the Steelers' plays, per SumerSports. He struck a balance with three-receiver packages, running 11 personnel on 48.6% of plays.
Smith's creativity on the ground in 12 and 13 personnel packages is renowned. That said, analytics had the Steelers operating best from 11 personnel in 2025. Their EPA (expected points added) from the culmination of their 11 personnel plays was 44.01, compared to -20.19 out of 12 and 5.89 from 13. 11 was also their most efficient in 2024 at 8.22 EPA, leading 12 (0.21) and 13 (-61.05). Of course, 12 and 13 are run-heavy groupings, and EPA favors the passing game. Pittsburgh ranked just 25th in total offense in 2025.
Regardless, the depth of schematic knowledge required to coordinate these schemes at the NFL level for seven years is expansive. As Matt Patricia and Chip Kelly showed under Day, coaches whose last NFL jobs ended poorly can make incredible coordinators at the college level. Day struck a balance between his three-receiver and multi-tight end packages in 2025, and the latest former NFL coordinator and head coach hired by Day will have every intention of maintaining that balance.
The 12 and 13 personnel packages are here to stay for Ohio State in 2026. The Buckeyes finished 51st nationally in yards per carry (4.55) in 2025. Ideally, they utilize their multi-tight end looks under Smith with new bodies atop the depth chart to achieve better results next year.
