Ohio State junior wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) scores a touchdown during the game against Minnesota Oct. 4, 2025. The No. 1 Buckeyes defeated the Golden Gophers 42-3. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor
Eleven former Ohio State football players arrived in Indianapolis for the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine Monday to perform individual evaluation in front of NFL coaches, scouts and executives.
The Buckeyes, who sent a nation’s best 15 players to Indianapolis in 2025, once again sent one of the largest groups in college football to the event, with tight ends Max Klare and Will Kacmarek, wide receiver Carnell Tate, running back CJ Donaldson, defensive linemen Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald, linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles Jr., and safety Caleb Downs representing Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium.
For players like Tate, a projected first-round pick, the combine is less about proving he belongs and more about defining where he fits. With draft boards still unsettled, every sprint, rep and interview becomes an opportunity to separate from a crowded receiver class.
“Not everyone has me as the clear-cut No. 1 receiver in the draft,” Tate said. “That’s been motivating me to go out there and prove I am the clear-cut No. 1, the consistent No. 1 and the guy for each and every team.”
Tate said separating himself goes beyond on-field testing, with interviews playing a major role in how teams evaluate receivers. He views the combine as an opportunity to demonstrate both his athletic ability and his understanding of the game.
“A successful combine for me is excelling in my interviews and separating myself there showing how smart I am, how well I understand the entire playbook and offense, and knowing everybody’s job description,” Tate said. “Then ultimately, I just want to go out there and run a good 40, somewhere in the 4.4 range.”
But the transition from preparing for a full season at Ohio State to combine training required a major adjustment. Unlike the physical grind of a college season, combine preparation centers on recovery and maximizing specific measurables.
“The combine prep is very different than Ohio State,” Tate said. “Combine prep is just training you for the 40, to run fast, to show how explosive you are and ultimately do as many reps at 225 as you can.”
Tate is one of several Buckeyes using the week in Indianapolis to shape how NFL teams evaluate his skill set. For running back CJ Donaldson, the combine offers a chance to prove he is more than just a ball carrier and can be a complete back at the next level.
For Donaldson, success starts with the stopwatch.
“A successful combine for me is definitely getting my 40 time where it needs to be and just being myself and showcasing everything I can bring to a team,” he said.
Beyond testing numbers, his motivation runs deeper. Donaldson points to his mother’s work ethic as the driving force behind his approach to both football and life.
“The part of the journey that motivates me the most is watching my mom,” Donaldson said. “For the past 16 years, she’s been waking up at 6 a.m. to go to a job she doesn’t like. Now I get to wake up at five or six in the morning to go to a job that I love.”
That perspective has kept him grounded throughout the draft process.
“I’m just taking it all in and being thankful for the opportunity,” he said. “Just grateful to be here.”
Tate and Donaldson will continue their combine journey Saturday when they participate in on-field testing at the NFL Scouting Combine.
