​Ohio State’s tight end room will look very different in 2026. Gone are the clearly defined roles that existed a season ago. Max Klare was the dynamic receiving threat who stretched defenses vertically and created mismatches in space, while Will Kacmarek handled much of the blocking and the dirty work. He lined up next to offensive tackles, battled defensive ends for four quarters, sealed the edge in the run game, and gave Ryan Day someone he could trust in every heavy personnel package.This season, Ohio State needs one player to bridge those two roles, and that player is expected to be Nate Roberts. The former four-star recruit enters the season as the projected TE1, but his job description extends well beyond leading the room in receptions. Roberts is being asked to become the complete tight end that every offense so highly covets. Someone who can threaten defenses down the seam one snap, cave in the edge on an outside zone run the next, stay in to protect Julian Sayin against elite pass rushers, and then motion across the formation without giving the defense any indication of what is coming.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Roberts develops into that player, Ohio State’s offense becomes significantly more dangerous. If he does not, the Buckeyes can obviously still be very good, but one of the offense’s most important chess pieces may never fully materialize.Roberts arrived in Columbus as one of the nation’s premier tight end recruits. The Oklahoma native finished his high school career with 42 receptions for 848 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior, averaging more than 20 yards per catch while showcasing the athleticism that made him one of the top tight ends in the 2025 recruiting class. At 6-foot-5 and roughly 240 pounds, he possessed the frame of a traditional inline tight end, but his movement skills immediately separated him from many players at the position.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOhio State saw more than a receiving threat. They saw versatility. Even as a true freshman, Roberts appeared in all 13 games and was trusted with responsibilities that extended well beyond running routes. He finished the season with four receptions for 30 yards, but those numbers barely scratched the surface of his role. The Buckeyes lined him up in line, used him as an H-back, motioned him across formations, asked him to split-zone block, and even handed him the football twice. For a freshman tight end, earning that level of trust is highly uncommon.That early usage matters because tight end remains one of the most difficult positions to play in Ryan Day’s offense. Blocking assignments change every week. Route responsibilities change every series. Protection calls require communication with the offensive line. Freshmen rarely handle all of those responsibilities unless coaches believe they are capable of becoming complete players, and Ohio State clearly believed Roberts could. Now comes the next step.Last season’s tight end roo