Carnell Tate says he is not trying to become the next Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. or Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The former Ohio State star, who is likely to be drafted in the first round this week, said he wants to keep his own identity as his name comes up in NFL draft rooms.
"I can only be Carnell Tate. I'm not Marv, I'm not Garrett, I'm not Chris, those guys are themselves," Tate said in a recent interview. "Everyone's paved their destiny for themselves. You go out there and do what you know you can be, not the guy next to you."
That message carries extra weight in Columbus, where Ohio State has produced a steady run of first-round wide receivers this decade. Olave, Wilson, Harrison and Smith-Njigba all went in the first round, turning the Buckeyes into a place NFL teams keep returning to when they need an elite pass catcher. Tate said he sees that history as a standard to honor, not a script to follow.
"They're unbelievable, great guys who paved the way for me to have this platform, so it's only right that I carry on the legacy at Receiver U," he said. "All those guys have been helpful throughout my process."
Tate said those former Ohio State receivers continue to check in when they are in town, offering more than football advice. "Whenever they come to town, they pour knowledge into us, give us life advice, advice in general about the league. Whenever I need those guys, they welcome me with open arms," he said.
The offseason has taken Tate from trying to win a second straight national championship to training for the NFL draft, while also sitting through the kind of meetings that can shape a pro career. He said the interviews with teams mattered, calling them important job interviews, but he is now taking a step back and letting the draft board settle on its own terms.
That has left him in a familiar spot for a player who grew up inside one of college football's most watched receiver pipelines: under pressure, but not without a map. Tate's path now depends on where he lands this week, and whether the next Buckeye wideout can enter the league by leaning into the same lesson that carried the last wave there — be himself, and let the rest fall into place.
Outside the field, Tate said the Buckeyes' bond shows up in the small things, even in how money gets split among teammates. He pointed to PayPal's pool feature in a group chat as a simple way for Ohio State players to send money to each other, saying, "They have the pool thing that allows them to just send a link in a group chat, and it just makes it easier for everyone just to send money." He added, "PayPal just makes it smoother for everyone."
For Tate, the message is plain. The names before him built the route, but the next stop belongs to him alone.