Ohio State tight end Max Klare (86), a former Purdue Boilermaker, greets fans after the Buckeyes Nov. 29, 2025 game against Michigan. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor
Ohio State’s 2025 starting tight end has become the latest Buckeye to depart for the NFL.
Max Klare, Ohio State’s leading tight end in receptions, yards and touchdowns, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, forgoing his final year of eligibility.
A transfer from Purdue, Klare earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in his lone season with the Buckeyes after previously being named third-team All-Big Ten in 2024 with the Boilermakers. He finished the 2025 season with 43 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns, ranking third in program history for single-season receptions by a tight end.
Klare delivered his best performance in a 42-9 win over Rutgers on Nov. 15, catching seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown while wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith were sidelined with injuries.
Klare joins a growing list of Buckeyes to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, including Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald and Carnell Tate.
With Klare departing, Ohio State has already addressed the position through the transfer portal, adding Mason Williams from Ohio University and Hunter Welcing from Northwestern, both rated as three-star prospects in the 247 transfer portal rankings.
