Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate missed the Buckeyes’ Week 11 contest and Week 12 contest, but will he miss the team’s Week 12 game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights as well? Here’s the latest on Tate’s status.
Carnell Tate Injury: Ohio State Star Set to Miss Third Straight Week
According to college football insider Pete Thamel, Tate is slated to sit out Ohio State’s Week 13 clash with the 5-5 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at noon Eastern.
Tate tweaked something in warm-ups ahead of Ohio State’s game versus Purdue in Week 11, and now that pre-game issue has affected his availability for three straight games.
Sources: Ohio State star wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith are not expected to play against Rutgers today. Both are considered day-to-day as they deal with lower body injuries. pic.twitter.com/IpAhi5Of8J
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 22, 2025
Thamel noted in Week 12 that Tate’s injury is viewed as a short-term issue by Ohio State, and that he’s expected to be back soon. Three missed weeks would normally cast doubt on that conclusion, but it’s likely Ohio State is preserving his health for the Big Ten Championship and the CFB Playoffs.
Sophomore star Jeremiah Smith hasn’t missed a beat taking on Tate’s volume in the receiving game, but with Smith now expected to miss the Buckeyes’ game against Rutgers as well, Ohio State will have to turn to Brandon Inniss, Max Klare, Mylan Graham, Bryson Rodgers, and others in the passing game.
If there was ever an ideal time for Tate and Smith to miss time, this would be it. Ohio State’s opponents over the past three weeks — including Rutgers — have a combined record of 10-21.
By sitting Tate and playing it safe during the weak part of their schedule, the Buckeyes ensure they’ll be able to get Tate back in time for the tough games — among them a potential Big Ten Championship date with the Indiana Hoosiers, and a CFB Playoff berth.
Carnell Tate’s 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
In eight games played thus far in 2024, Tate has amassed 39 catches for 711 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging almost 20 yards per catch. He’s widely viewed as a potential WR1 candidate and bona fide first-round prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tate has always had the size and length at 6’3″, 195 pounds, the explosive vertical athleticism, and the body control at the catch point. The main concerns on his 2024 film derived from his inconsistent pressing, pacing, and footwork at route stems.
In 2025, he’s emerged as a true route artist and master spatial manipulator. In PFSN’s database, he has a very strong WR Impact score of 83.9.
On the vertical plane, he can use his long-strider speed, smooth hips, and angle intellect to stem defenders out of upfield attack paths, but in the short and intermediate ranges, he can win on slants, corners, comebacks, and outs with crisp tempo, throttle control, deception, and sudden feet.
