Houston Texans Select Ohio State TE Cade Stover With No. 123 Pick in NFL Draft

The tight end, who now reunites with C.J. Stroud, becomes the 14th Ohio State Buckeye at the position to be drafted all time.

Stover brings run-blocking and pass-catching abilities to the league. / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Another Ohio State Buckeye is off the board.

Senior tight end Cade Stover was taken by the Houston Texans with the No. 123 overall pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday, reuniting him with his former college teammate, C.J. Stroud.

Stover spent five years with the Buckeyes, first starting out as a linebacker as a redshirt freshman in 2019 before moving to tight end at the end of the season. Stover then moved back to linebacker in 2021, starting in the Rose Bowl against Utah.

Eventually, however, Stover found his true home at tight end, becoming a major weapon for the Buckeyes.

Sep 24, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Cade Stover (8) celebrate his / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA

As a Buckeye, the Mansfield, Ohio, native recorded 82 receptions for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns in the three seasons he received time as a tight end. As a starter alongside Stroud in 2022, Stover had 36 catches for 406 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games.

Despite standing at six-foot-four, 247 pounds, Stover ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine, demonstrating his speed at his size.

Stover's run-blocking and pass-catching abilities did not go unnoticed, helping lead the Buckeyes to the No. 30 overall passing offense in the country. The reigning Big Ten Tight End of the Year was second on the team with 576 receiving yards and second with 41 receptions, tied with junior receiver Emeka Egbuka.

Stover becomes the 14th Ohio State tight end all time to be drafted to the NFL and the first since Jeremy Ruckert went at No. 101 in 2022 to the New York Jets. In addition, as it stands now, Stover joins Ruckert and Luke Farrell of the Jacksonville Jaguars as the only rostered Buckeye tight ends at the moment.