COLUMBUS, Ohio – Colleen Hurst knows what it's like to be Ohiodefender.
More than three years ago, Hurst led the South Florida Express to a 7-on-7 tournament championship in Las Vegas using future Ohio State starting receivers. Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Smith And Brandon Inniss.
“A quarterback’s dream,” said Hurst, who is now the starting FCS quarterback for Presbyterian. “Julian Sayin incredible defender. But having those three guys definitely helps.”
Inniss was the go-to guy back then. Smith was an up-and-coming force. But Tate, a late addition to the team, proved to be the difference-maker when it mattered most. Tracking the team backed by Cam Newton and Oregon quarterback Dante MooreHurst went to Tate for the game-winning touchdown in that title game in Las Vegas, throwing a pass into the back of the end zone with less than a minute to play.
“Carnell is one of those guys you can always trust,” Hurst said. “One of the nicest people you'll ever talk to. But when he went on the field, he simply embarrassed the guys. I knew that no matter how far from the corner he played, Carnell would eventually step on him.”
The Buckeyes are betting on Tate – one of college football's brightest stars – to be big again in the race for back-to-back national titles, starting with the first playoff game against Miami at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year's Eve (7:30 pm ET, ESPN).
“I've worked here all the years, I've been patient,” Tate said. “The game comes to those who work. My time has finally come.”
General attention did not come to Tate immediately. During his first two seasons in Columbus, he played a secondary role on a team that would be a future first-round NFL pick. Marvin Harrison Jr.. And Emeka Egbuka. Last year, Tate took a backseat to Smith, the freshman sensation. Tate did the dirty work, emerging as a tenacious blocker on the perimeter while the rest put up big stats and made headlines.
“Does everything the coaches ask,” Smith said, “and doesn’t complain about it.”
Tate has emerged as a star alongside Smith this season.
Tate is averaging 83.8 receiving yards per game, ranked seventh among Power 4 players, and has nine touchdowns despite missing games late in the year with a lower-body injury. Four ESPN NFL Draft analysts now rank him as the top player Available as a No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver. in the 2026 project. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Tate could very well extend Ohio State's winning streak with a first-round receiver to five straight years.
“I always knew what talent he had and what he was capable of,” Harrison said. “It all comes down to opportunity – and now he’s getting it.”
Brett Goetz, who founded South Florida Express in Fort Lauderdale nearly two decades ago, immediately noticed Tate's work ethic. Goetz wanted another receiver and asked his players if they had any suggestions. Inniss met Tate in high school — Tate scored a touchdown in IMG Academy's win over Inniss' American Heritage in the 2021 opener — and recommended him.
Hurst said Tate was a “straightforward person… almost like a military dude” who was the first to arrive for breakfast or meetings.
When SFE traveled to tournaments, players would play video games late into the night. Tate asked Getz if he could have his own room.
“He wanted to go to bed early so he could be ready and focused,” Goetz said. “Carnell has always had a different maturity.”
By the time Tate scored the game-tying touchdown in the final contest of the year, Getz knew that Tate's combination of “size, speed, route running and catching ability” would eventually make him an “elite” receiver in college—even if it took time.
“Carnell has always been great. But when you have Marv and Emeka, you have to wait your turn,” Goetz said. “Everyone understands, damn it, there's another guy [at Ohio State] who has great abilities. … Now he's really been able to showcase who he really is as a player.”
Standing out at SFE was also not easy. The lineup was full of stars, including a USC standout. Snake livethis year's Biletnikov Award winner, who could challenge Tate to become the first receiver cut in the upcoming draft. Freshman phenomenon from Miami Malachi Tony – who Ohio State will have to slow down in the playoff opener – was also part of the group.
“We had talent all over the place,” Tony said. “It was like an all-star team.”
Getz added that Inniss was “one of the best” 7-on-7 players he had ever seen. And Smith, then playing in the slot, was just starting to grow into his 6-3, 225-pound frame.
“It's kind of crazy to see him just turn into this fucking Megatron,” Hirst said of Smith. “But even at a young age I could tell he was obviously going to be funny.”
The SFE receiving corps will be the backbone of the Buckeyes' passing attack. Tate, Inniss and Smith once visited Ohio State with Getz, a precursor to the two teaming up again in college.
This season, with Tate and Smith on the outside and Inniss in the slot, the Buckeyes have punished opposing defenders. All three caught touchdowns on Nov. 29 as the Buckeyes snapped a four-game losing streak to Michigan with a convincing 27-9 victory in Ann Arbor.
In his first game back from injury, Tate raced past the Michigan defense for a 50-yard touchdown in the third quarter, effectively putting the Wolverines away. It was Tate's fifth touchdown of at least 40 yards this season, second most in the country.
“I've improved in every aspect of my game,” Tate said, noting his improved ability to make contested catches and hit opponents in big games.
Smith, almost a year younger than Tate, said he's looked up to him since they played 7-on-7 and leaned on him last season even as he broke Ohio State's freshman receiving records. Because Tate played all the receiver positions early in his career to fit into Ohio State's offense, he helped Smith adjust to the Buckeyes moving him around this season.
“I learned a lot from him,” Smith said. “He guided me… and taught me everything I needed to know.”
On the field, Tate also boosted the Buckeyes' offense, taking the pressure off Smith and forcing the defense to use its poison.
“If you try to double me, you have to worry about him killing you on the other side of the field,” Smith said. “It was interesting to see him go. I knew what kind of player he was, and I knew for sure that this year would be his year.”
