With Ohio State’s first 15 practices of the year in the books, we now have a better idea of who’s on the rise and where things stand for the Buckeyes at every position group entering the 2026 season.
New Buckeyes were on the field at every position this spring as 51 new Ohio State players were part of the team that went through the Buckeyes’ March and April practices. There were plenty of newcomers and returning Buckeyes alike who stood out on each side of the ball as players competed for position on the depth chart and looked to prove they can make an impact for OSU this season.
Spring Recaps
With the Buckeyes currently in a break from on-field activity before summer workouts ramp up, we’re taking a position-by-position look at who stood out this spring, what questions still linger after spring, how the depth chart currently stacks up and the overall outlook for each position going into the summer.
In the seventh installment of our Spring Recap series, we take a post-spring look at Ohio State’s tight ends, where sophomore Nate Roberts, transfer additions Mason Williams and Hunter Welcing and fifth-year senior Bennett Christian are competing to lead the depth chart following the departures of Max Klare and Will Kacmarek from last season.
(Author’s Note: I’m on vacation this week, so the remaining Spring Recaps – running back, defensive tackle and cornerback – will be published next week.)
Spring Standouts
Nate Roberts
At a position where freshmen seldom see significant playing time at Ohio State, Roberts’ standing in the eyes of Keenan Bailey was clear as he played 160 snaps on offense last season. His standing became even clearer this spring as he led the tight end depth chart from start to finish, emerging as the frontrunner to be Ohio State’s No. 1 TE in 2026 as a true sophomore.
After playing many of his snaps as a fullback last season, Roberts lined up as a true tight end this spring and showed he has the skill set to be a complete player at that position. While he caught only four passes for 30 yards as a freshman, he was impressive as a receiver over the middle this spring while also taking on plenty of in-line blocking responsibility.
Roberts said this spring that his goal is to be Ohio State’s starting tight end this season, and based on what we saw on the field and heard from Bailey this spring, he looks like he has a great chance to achieve that objective.
“He was far and away top-ranked when we came out of winter, and that's why he got the first crack at it when we got to spring,” Bailey said. “Now he's got to keep improving, but we've got high expectations and no one has higher expectations than he does for himself, and I'm proud of how he's progressing.”
Mason Williams and Hunter Welcing
Both of Ohio State’s transfer tight ends also made a good impression on their coaches this spring. They were both among the 12 new Buckeyes who had their black stripes removed this spring, and Ryan Day identified them as two of the newcomers who had impressed him the most during an April press conference.
“They're not perfect at all, but they're grinding at it, and they're working at it,” Day said. “And I think those guys at tight end have shown up, especially in the pass game.”
Williams, who caught 48 passes for 565 yards and six touchdowns in three years at Ohio, showed the ability to be an effective weapon in the short and intermediate passing game while even occasionally lining up in the backfield and taking a handoff this spring. Welcing, who had 28 catches for 296 yards and two touchdowns last season at Northwestern, also looked the part of a capable contributor as both a receiver and blocker.
If they continue to perform well in preseason camp, both seniors should see regular playing time in Ohio State’s 2026 tight end rotation.
Two Lingering Questions
1. Will one or more consistent pass-catching threats emerge from the group?
Day seems confident that this will happen, saying in April that he saw Ohio State’s tight ends “make a lot more plays maybe than we've seen in the past.” It’s still a question, though, given that no tight end on the roster has reached 30 catches or 300 receiving yards in a collegiate season.
Roberts looks like the leading candidate to become the top pass-catcher of the group, but expecting him to singlehandedly replace Klare would be a big ask for a sophomore who caught four passes as a freshman. As such, Ohio State is also counting on Welcing and Williams to be impactful as receivers this season, and how well their games translate into the Buckeyes’ offense will go a long way toward determining the production of Ohio State’s tight end unit this season.
2. How many tight ends will play frequently?
Ohio State had two co-starters at tight end last season in Klare and Kacmarek, plus three other tight ends who rotated in: Bennett Christian, Roberts and Jelani Thurman. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ohio State utilizes a similarly deep rotation this year.
It’s possible Roberts separates himself from the pack as Ohio State’s most complete tight end, but the most likely scenario is Roberts and one of the transfers both playing a starter’s share of snaps, with the other transfer and Christian rotating in. Ohio State has three other scholarship tight ends on the roster, too, though Max LeBlanc, Brody Lennon and Nick Lautar all look like longer shots to play regularly in 2026.
Those tight ends will all be competing for playing time with a deep wide receiver group, which could impact how many snaps there are to go around. Considering Arthur Smith’s history of using multiple tight ends in his offense, though, it seems like a safe bet that at least two or three tight ends will play regularly.
Projected Depth Chart
1. Nate Roberts
2. Mason Williams
3. Hunter Welcing
4. Bennett Christian
5. Max LeBlanc
6. Nick Lautar
7. Brody Lennon
With Roberts’ emergence as the frontrunner to start, the big question is what the pecking order will look like between Williams, Welcing and Christian.
For now, I’m giving the edge to Williams, who looks to be the most complete tight end of that group, possessing a similar profile to Kacmarek as an Ohio transfer who’s strong at blocking but has also demonstrated the ability to make plays in the passing game. Welcing offers more as a receiver than Christian, but Christian will likely continue to have a role as a blocking specialist in multi-tight end sets as he has for the last two seasons.
LeBlanc drew praise from Day for his performance in winter workouts while Lautar also showed promise in his first spring as a Buckeye, but there’s no clear path to the field for either of them this season.
Post-Spring Outlook
Ohio State doesn’t have an established star at tight end. Roberts has the potential to become that, but that’s probably more likely to happen in 2027 than 2026. Williams and Welcing project as more likely role players than All-Big Ten tight ends.
That said, the combination of that trio, along with a fifth-year senior career Buckeye in Christian, gives Ohio State great depth and experience at tight end.
It’s not yet clear whether any of those tight ends will be as dynamic as Klare was as a receiver or as dominant as Kacmarek was as a blocker. But Ohio State should have at least two or three reliable blockers in the group and at least two tight ends who can add value in the passing game, and that’s enough for an offense that features an elite receiving corps led by Jeremiah Smith.
