Ad Disclosure
Will Howard sees Carnell Tate as a difference-maker, even without the ball in his hands
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Will Howard loves the full range of weapons he has with Ohio State’s offense. That includes a loaded room of wide receivers, though that group is important outside of simply catching passes and lighting up opposing secondaries.
Howard met with the media on Tuesday and had a chance to address what Carnell Tate means to the offense. If possible, the second-year receiver is occasionally overlooked by elite freshman Jeremiah Smith and veteran Emeka Egbuka, but Howard knows Tate impacts everything even when he doesn’t have the ball.
“I think Carnell’s done a really good job not just with the ball in his hands but blocking and influencing guys without the ball,” said Howard about Tate’s selflessness and ability to open running lanes. “He’s really, really taken ownership of that, and he’s said ‘It doesn’t matter if the balls in my hands or not’.”
RELATED: Ohio State is continuing its push for a potential Playoff appearance as one of the top national title contenders in the country. Fans can find the best and latest odds for all things Buckeyes with Tradition’s OH sports betting apps.
That kind of attitude is not unique to Tate, but it’s something that sets Ohio State’s receivers apart. Howard also said the guys are buying into the idea of putting in the work in the blocking game and getting rewarded on the backend.
“The selflessness of the guys in that room, they all want to help you succeed, and they know if you make a big block, you’re going to have the ball coming to you soon,” Howard explained. “And we’re going to continue to reward that. And that’s huge. There were some blocks that he made on plays that turned some 10-yard gains into 20-25-yard gains. That’s something that’s a difference-maker.”
Tate is in his 2nd season with the Buckeyes and has not wasted the opportunities he gets. As a true freshman, Tate managed to record 264 yards on his 18 catches with a touchdown.
Tate’s latest game includes 4 catches for a season-high 64 yards. And even if he isn’t delivering highlight-reel catches, he has been a key piece to Ohio State’s ground game starting to catch fire after Week 4.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.