Ohio State Buckeyes WR Carnell Tate 'Defied' Freshman Expectations, Says Coach Brian Hartline

Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Carnell Tate hardly looks like a freshman in the eyes of offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.

If the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to win out and make their way into the College Football Playoff, they’ll need a full complement of receivers helping them. 

Of course, it’ll all start with receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. But in the big games the No. 2 Buckeyes will/could play in during the season’s final stretch, one huge play could make a difference.

Based on what he’s done so far during his freshman season and the praise he’s earned from the coaching staff, receiver Carnell Tate could be an x-factor as the Buckeyes aim for a national title. 

"I can't speak highly enough about him,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline said. “I expect him to carry that momentum through the rest of this year and into next year."

This season, Tate has posted 16 catches for 251 yards and one score. He’s yet to top 100 yards in a game or catch more than three passes in a single contest, but it’s just a matter of time before either one of those come to an end. 

He's understandably taking a backseat in a receiving corps that includes future NFL talents in Harrison Jr. and Egbuka, but Hartline’s praise for Tate remained high. 

"It's just the natural growth of a young athlete becoming a growing athlete, if you will," Hartline said. "When you're young, the body of work is not there, and usually you need a lot of body of work to build trust. I would say kind of defied that. He did a good job of making corrections the first time he made a mistake. He tried to prevent a lot of mistakes which he did a good job of."

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Tate, Hartline and the Buckeyes will look to remain undefeated when they host Minnesota on Saturday.