The countdown to Ohio State’s first practices for the 2026 season continues.
As we’ve broken down the Buckeyes’ roster position-by-position, we’ve seen a mix of rooms returning strong production from the 2025 team and others trying to reload after losing the pieces atop their respective depth charts. Ohio State’s tight ends fall into the latter category.
Spring Previews
In the fifth installment of our spring position previews, we’re diving into how the Buckeyes’ line bookenders will try to build for next season after losing both Max Klare and Will Kacmarek, their top two players at the position last year. There will be quiet battles for playing time that begin this March.
Who’s Back
Bennett Christian (No. 3 tight end in 2025), Nate Roberts (No. 4 tight end in 2025), Max LeBlanc (No snaps in 2025), Brody Lennon (Redshirt in 2025)
Bennett Christian overcame some early career adversity to carve out a nice, defined role for Ohio State in 2024 and 2025 as a blocking tight end. He played the third-most snaps among Buckeye tight ends in both seasons, with 235 snaps in 2024 and 255 in 2025. The Buckeyes used him in a lot of 12 and 13-personnel groupings (one running back, two or three tight ends) for blocking reinforcement. He had seven receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns across those two campaigns.
Nate Roberts made a few waves as a freshman, starting with a strong four-reception, 41-yard performance in Ohio State’s spring game. He passed redshirt sophomore Jelani Thurman for the fourth spot on the Buckeyes’ depth chart, playing 160 snaps. He played fullback in OSU’s 14 personnel goal line package, hauling in four receptions for 30 yards with two carries for one yard.
Max LeBlanc and Brody Lennon will continue their developmental tracks after seeing slim to no playing time in 2025.
Who’s New
Mason Williams (Transfer), Hunter Welcing (Transfer), Nick Lautar (Freshman)
Ohio State found success in the last blocking-first tight end it scooped up from Ohio in the transfer portal, Will Kacmarek, so why not dip into the well again? Mason Williams arrives from the Bobcats with one year of eligibility remaining and two seasons of experience as a starter. He had 26 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns last year, and Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 62.2 as a run blocker.
It took six years for Hunter Welcing to emerge as Northwestern’s top tight end, but he made good use of his first opportunity to start in 2025, collecting 28 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns. His run-blocking grade in 206 snaps was a step below Williams’ at 50.6, but completes a trio of senior hands at the position for Ohio State in 2026 with Christian and Williams.
Nick Lautar arrives as a developmental three-star prospect out of Lebanon, Ohio. He was the No. 550 overall prospect and No. 30 tight end in the 247Sports composite for the class of 2026.
Who’s Gone
Will Kacmarek (Senior), Max Klare (NFL Draft), Jelani Thurman (Transfer)
Max Klare turned into a one-and-done at Ohio State after transferring in from Purdue and now starts his NFL career as a projected day two draft pick. He had 43 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns in 2025.
Kacmarek emerged as a dependable, fierce blocker in his two seasons with the Buckeyes. He and Klare saw a rather even split of playing time at tight end in 2025 as a result, with Kacmarek seeing 509 snaps and Klare 488. Kacmarek boasted a run-blocking grade of 71 on PFF, which bested two of Ohio State’s starting offensive linemen: Phillip Daniels (68.5) and Tegra Tshabola (57.8). Kacmarek allowed just two pressures in 90 pass-blocking snaps and added 15 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Jelani Thurman seeks a new opportunity at North Carolina after being passed by Roberts on the depth chart in 2025. He assembled 13 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns in his three-year Ohio State career.
The Big Question
How big a leap does Nate Roberts take?
Christian, Welcing and Williams are known entities, at least somewhat, as the two senior transfers will need to acclimate to the leap in competition that comes with practice against an Ohio State defense. But as the No. 10 tight end and No. 203 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings for the recruiting class of 2025, with flashes as a freshman, Roberts provides the tight end room with its ceiling.
That’s how Ryan Day sees it.
“As talented a young tight end that we've had in a while,” Day said of Roberts on Jan. 30. “We've had some good ones, we're getting better. I think Keenan (Bailey)'s done a great job recruiting that room. We now have some depth there.”
Christian and Williams give the impression of blocking-first bodies, and none of the senior trio has a 300-yard receiving season to his credit. Roberts could emerge as Ohio State’s top receiving threat at the position this year.
Battle to Watch
Nate Roberts vs. Mason Williams vs. Hunter Welcing vs. Bennett Christian
Ohio State’s depth chart is open to set itself in any order among the four men listed above. The Buckeyes’ heavier use of 12 and 13 personnel isn’t going anywhere under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who is known for such offensive packages, so multiple of them will see run.
Whether the Buckeyes have a featured tight end who exceeds everyone else’s snaps by a sizable margin will depend on the skill sets of the quartet. If Roberts separates himself as both the best receiver and a blocker of a similar caliber to the rest, he could be on the field more often than not. Ohio State split snaps among Klare and Kacmarek atop its depth chart because there was a massive delta between them in those areas, though Klare’s blocking did improve as the season progressed.
Whoever emerges as the best blocker from the bunch will guarantee himself a healthy share of snaps in 12 personnel, if nothing else. Williams and Christian seem like the top two candidates for that role. The No. 3 tight end in Ohio State’s offense has received at least 230 snaps the last two seasons, too.
Overall Pre-Spring Outlook
The hype surrounding Ohio State’s tight end room in 2025 at this time of year was that it could be the best and deepest in the country. Kacmarek already had a reputation as one of the best blocking tight ends in the country and Klare was the crown jewel of the Buckeyes’ transfer portal class.
Things are much murkier this time around. There’s much more room between the floor and ceiling of where this can go. There’s a lot of film on Williams and Welcing, but does it click for one or both of them as they move to a big-time program? What’s Christian’s ceiling now that he’s competing for one of the top two tight end spots? Roberts – we’ve already discussed Roberts.
There are enough experienced bodies that at least one should turn into a reliable blocking piece in Smith’s offense. If there’s a second, and if someone can emerge as a consistent contributor in the receiving game, Ohio State could have one of the best tight end rooms in the Big Ten.
