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LGHL Player of the Year: Max Klare will outscore all other Buckeye tight ends combined
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Player of the Year: Max Klare will outscore all other Buckeye tight ends combined
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The transfer from Purdue brings a skill set that rounds out the tight end room and gives the Buckeyes an additional receiving option.
From now until preseason camp starts on July 31, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the players who will shine this season. Whether they are superstars, diamonds in the rough, or journeymen, these are the Buckeyes who will define the 2025-26 season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player of the Year” articles here.
With four of six tight ends from Ohio State’s 2024 National Championship-winning roster returning this season, the room’s foundation looks rock solid.
Will Kacmarek, who missed part of last season with an injury, took 296 offensive snaps in 12 games, good for 86 yards on eight receptions. Bennett Christian followed Kacmarek with two receptions, 61 yards, and a touchdown on 235 snaps. Jelani Thurman netted 42 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. All three are returning this season, along with Max LeBlanc, who redshirted but saw action in four games (the maximum number allowed without losing the year of eligibility), including the CFP game against Tennessee.
In spite of all that, it’s possible the tight end deserving of the most fanfare will be the new kid in town: Max Klare.
Klare transferred to Ohio State from Purdue during the offseason, ranked as the No. 1 tight end in the portal after an impressive season with the Boilermakers. Averaging 13.4 yards per play, he totaled 685 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 51 catches, numbers that are even more impressive when you consider he accrued them on a team that lost 11-straight during their one-win season.
Klare not only led the team; he blew everyone else out of the water, with 300 more receiving yards and more than double the receptions of the next-highest guy on the team. No other Boilermaker scored more than twice.
No Buckeye tight end scored twice either, and while this is in large part due to the fact that OSU doesn’t have to rely as heavily on its tight ends as receivers given the wealth of other offensive weapons to choose from in its wide receiver and running back rooms, Klare provides the team with an opportunity to complement an already-dominant offense with an additional receiving option.
He brings a skill set to his new team that differs from some of his tight end counterparts. While Kacmarek and Christian are known for their blocking acumen, Klare’s strengths are more on the pass-catching side of the tight end duties, making the room more well-rounded. He’s a strong route-runner with great ball skills.
At Purdue, Klare managed to not only produce offensively, but he also generated offensive opportunities for a team that offered him far less offensive line support than he will see with the Buckeyes. If there’s a hole in coverage, expect Klare to find it.
We’ve already seen flashes of it: In this year’s spring game, he was good for 28 yards on two receptions, one of which was possibly the highlight of the scrimmage. Klare found a hole in coverage, and then he found the endzone on a 26-yard perfect pass from quarterback Julian Sayin.
Because of the structure of the Buckeyes’ offense, Klare’s receiving duties won’t carry the same weight they did at Purdue, where he was the primary offensive target. Ohio State already has wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss for that.
But Klare presents an additional possibility, and it allows the Buckeyes to utilize their tight ends to their full potential. I previously made the case for Klare to be the top-producing tight end in the NCAA, and while that might be a stretch, there is no doubt he should be the top-producing tight end for the Buckeyes this season, outscoring the rest of a room that is better than it’s been in years.
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The transfer from Purdue brings a skill set that rounds out the tight end room and gives the Buckeyes an additional receiving option.
From now until preseason camp starts on July 31, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the players who will shine this season. Whether they are superstars, diamonds in the rough, or journeymen, these are the Buckeyes who will define the 2025-26 season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player of the Year” articles here.
With four of six tight ends from Ohio State’s 2024 National Championship-winning roster returning this season, the room’s foundation looks rock solid.
Will Kacmarek, who missed part of last season with an injury, took 296 offensive snaps in 12 games, good for 86 yards on eight receptions. Bennett Christian followed Kacmarek with two receptions, 61 yards, and a touchdown on 235 snaps. Jelani Thurman netted 42 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. All three are returning this season, along with Max LeBlanc, who redshirted but saw action in four games (the maximum number allowed without losing the year of eligibility), including the CFP game against Tennessee.
In spite of all that, it’s possible the tight end deserving of the most fanfare will be the new kid in town: Max Klare.
Klare transferred to Ohio State from Purdue during the offseason, ranked as the No. 1 tight end in the portal after an impressive season with the Boilermakers. Averaging 13.4 yards per play, he totaled 685 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 51 catches, numbers that are even more impressive when you consider he accrued them on a team that lost 11-straight during their one-win season.
Klare not only led the team; he blew everyone else out of the water, with 300 more receiving yards and more than double the receptions of the next-highest guy on the team. No other Boilermaker scored more than twice.
No Buckeye tight end scored twice either, and while this is in large part due to the fact that OSU doesn’t have to rely as heavily on its tight ends as receivers given the wealth of other offensive weapons to choose from in its wide receiver and running back rooms, Klare provides the team with an opportunity to complement an already-dominant offense with an additional receiving option.
He brings a skill set to his new team that differs from some of his tight end counterparts. While Kacmarek and Christian are known for their blocking acumen, Klare’s strengths are more on the pass-catching side of the tight end duties, making the room more well-rounded. He’s a strong route-runner with great ball skills.
At Purdue, Klare managed to not only produce offensively, but he also generated offensive opportunities for a team that offered him far less offensive line support than he will see with the Buckeyes. If there’s a hole in coverage, expect Klare to find it.
We’ve already seen flashes of it: In this year’s spring game, he was good for 28 yards on two receptions, one of which was possibly the highlight of the scrimmage. Klare found a hole in coverage, and then he found the endzone on a 26-yard perfect pass from quarterback Julian Sayin.
Because of the structure of the Buckeyes’ offense, Klare’s receiving duties won’t carry the same weight they did at Purdue, where he was the primary offensive target. Ohio State already has wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss for that.
But Klare presents an additional possibility, and it allows the Buckeyes to utilize their tight ends to their full potential. I previously made the case for Klare to be the top-producing tight end in the NCAA, and while that might be a stretch, there is no doubt he should be the top-producing tight end for the Buckeyes this season, outscoring the rest of a room that is better than it’s been in years.
Continue reading...
LGHL Player of the Year: Jeremiah Smith, meet Troy Smith
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Player of the Year: Jeremiah Smith, meet Troy Smith
AlexFrank via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) reacts after making a catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes All-American receiver is poised for a huge second season... and some prestigious hardware.
From now until preseason camp starts on July 31, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the players that will shine this season. Whether they are superstars, diamonds in the rough, or journeymen, these are the Buckeyes who will define the 2025-26 season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player of the Year” articles here.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 18 seasons since an Ohio State player won the Heisman Trophy, with Troy Smith the last Buckeye to win it in 2006. For a program like Ohio State to go nearly two decades without winning the most prestigious honor in college football, it’s almost hard to fathom.
Droughts of this length have happened before at Ohio State since the Heisman Trophy was first awarded in 1935. The Buckeyes went 19 seasons without a player winning the award from 1955 to 1974. They also went 20 years from 1975 (Archie Griffin) to 1995 (Eddie George) without a Heisman Trophy coming to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The current drought for Ohio State without a Heisman Trophy could end this season, if All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith brings home the hardware this December. In addition, Smith is my pick to be the Buckeyes’ Player of the Year in 2025.
When a player lives up to the anticipation he has when he arrives on campus, it’s really special to watch their career unfold. That’s what it was like to watch Jeremiah Smith’s freshman season in Columbus in 2024, and he got better and better as the stages got bigger and bigger.
Smith’s touchdown on the Buckeyes’ first drive against Tennessee in the First Round of the College Football Playoff was the catalyst for Ohio State’s offense to take off for the next month. Then, with the National Championship hanging in the balance, Smith came up with the biggest play of the Buckeyes season when he hauled in a 57-yard reception on third-and-11 to all but seal the game.
What can Smith do for an encore this season? Become the eighth player in the history of Ohio State Football to win the Heisman Trophy.
Smith has the talent and exposure to do it. He’s the only player that ranked in the top 10 in the FBS in receiving yards last season to return for the 2025 season. That gives him a huge head start in his Heisman campaign this season.
Football is a quarterback-driven game. Quarterbacks get all the success when their teams win, and all the criticism among players when their teams lose. But the Buckeyes are a little different...
Any success new quarterback Julian Sayin has this season will be because of the wide receivers he will be throwing to, mainly Smith. With him, Carnell Tate and Max Klare to throw to, those guys are going to help bring Sayin along and help him progress into an outstanding quarterback.
The Buckeyes’ offense is led by their wide receivers, and the best player in that room is Jeremiah Smith. Even with the success that recent quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, and Will Howard had in Columbus, Ohio State — at least during Brian Hartline’s tenure — has always been highlighted and led by their wide receivers.
That will be the case this season, and Smith is poised to have a huge year. There have been two wide receivers who have won the Heisman Trophy in the last five seasons, which makes it even more likely for Smith to win it this season. He is the face of College Football right now, and another prolific season will earn him another accolade in his trophy case and the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Smith will not only be the Buckeyes’ Player of the Year this season. He is going to be the eighth Ohio State player to win the Heisman Trophy.
Continue reading...
AlexFrank via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) reacts after making a catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes All-American receiver is poised for a huge second season... and some prestigious hardware.
From now until preseason camp starts on July 31, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the players that will shine this season. Whether they are superstars, diamonds in the rough, or journeymen, these are the Buckeyes who will define the 2025-26 season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player of the Year” articles here.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 18 seasons since an Ohio State player won the Heisman Trophy, with Troy Smith the last Buckeye to win it in 2006. For a program like Ohio State to go nearly two decades without winning the most prestigious honor in college football, it’s almost hard to fathom.
Droughts of this length have happened before at Ohio State since the Heisman Trophy was first awarded in 1935. The Buckeyes went 19 seasons without a player winning the award from 1955 to 1974. They also went 20 years from 1975 (Archie Griffin) to 1995 (Eddie George) without a Heisman Trophy coming to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The current drought for Ohio State without a Heisman Trophy could end this season, if All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith brings home the hardware this December. In addition, Smith is my pick to be the Buckeyes’ Player of the Year in 2025.
When a player lives up to the anticipation he has when he arrives on campus, it’s really special to watch their career unfold. That’s what it was like to watch Jeremiah Smith’s freshman season in Columbus in 2024, and he got better and better as the stages got bigger and bigger.
Smith’s touchdown on the Buckeyes’ first drive against Tennessee in the First Round of the College Football Playoff was the catalyst for Ohio State’s offense to take off for the next month. Then, with the National Championship hanging in the balance, Smith came up with the biggest play of the Buckeyes season when he hauled in a 57-yard reception on third-and-11 to all but seal the game.
What can Smith do for an encore this season? Become the eighth player in the history of Ohio State Football to win the Heisman Trophy.
Smith has the talent and exposure to do it. He’s the only player that ranked in the top 10 in the FBS in receiving yards last season to return for the 2025 season. That gives him a huge head start in his Heisman campaign this season.
Football is a quarterback-driven game. Quarterbacks get all the success when their teams win, and all the criticism among players when their teams lose. But the Buckeyes are a little different...
Any success new quarterback Julian Sayin has this season will be because of the wide receivers he will be throwing to, mainly Smith. With him, Carnell Tate and Max Klare to throw to, those guys are going to help bring Sayin along and help him progress into an outstanding quarterback.
The Buckeyes’ offense is led by their wide receivers, and the best player in that room is Jeremiah Smith. Even with the success that recent quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, and Will Howard had in Columbus, Ohio State — at least during Brian Hartline’s tenure — has always been highlighted and led by their wide receivers.
That will be the case this season, and Smith is poised to have a huge year. There have been two wide receivers who have won the Heisman Trophy in the last five seasons, which makes it even more likely for Smith to win it this season. He is the face of College Football right now, and another prolific season will earn him another accolade in his trophy case and the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Smith will not only be the Buckeyes’ Player of the Year this season. He is going to be the eighth Ohio State player to win the Heisman Trophy.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Penn State
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Ohio State picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Penn State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
USA TODAY Sports Network’s Big Ten football preseason rankings, championship pick
Aaron Ferguson, Indianapolis Star
Three takeaways from Big Ten preseason media poll
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Four Buckeyes named to USA Today’s 2025 preseason All-Big Ten team
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
College football program valuations: Ranking every Power 4 team by how much they’d sell for
Matt Baker, The Athletic
Day ‘fired up’ about new Ohio State DC Patricia
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
What to watch for: Ohio State at Big Ten Media Days
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Five questions for Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith at 2025 Big Ten Media Days
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Analyzing options as Ohio State looks for new starter at nickel
Austin Ward, Lettermen Row
Luke Montgomery is enjoying first offseason as an Ohio State starter: ‘I think we’re a super close unit’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
OSU’s Moore asks to ‘keep our former Buckeye George Fitzpatrick’ in prayers
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Carmen’s Crew Continues Title Defense with 73-69 Victory over Fort Wayne Champs
11W Staff, Eleven Warriors
A renewed love of art helps Madison Greene transition to life after basketball
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Women’s Volleyball: Ohio State Receives AVCA Team Academic Award
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: Buckeyes Garner ITA Academic Team and Individual Honors
Ohio State Athletics
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
On the Gridiron
USA TODAY Sports Network’s Big Ten football preseason rankings, championship pick
Aaron Ferguson, Indianapolis Star
Three takeaways from Big Ten preseason media poll
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Four Buckeyes named to USA Today’s 2025 preseason All-Big Ten team
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
College football program valuations: Ranking every Power 4 team by how much they’d sell for
Matt Baker, The Athletic
Day ‘fired up’ about new Ohio State DC Patricia
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
What to watch for: Ohio State at Big Ten Media Days
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Five questions for Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith at 2025 Big Ten Media Days
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Analyzing options as Ohio State looks for new starter at nickel
Austin Ward, Lettermen Row
Luke Montgomery is enjoying first offseason as an Ohio State starter: ‘I think we’re a super close unit’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
OSU’s Moore asks to ‘keep our former Buckeye George Fitzpatrick’ in prayers
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
On the Hardwood
Carmen’s Crew Continues Title Defense with 73-69 Victory over Fort Wayne Champs
11W Staff, Eleven Warriors
A renewed love of art helps Madison Greene transition to life after basketball
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Women’s Volleyball: Ohio State Receives AVCA Team Academic Award
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: Buckeyes Garner ITA Academic Team and Individual Honors
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
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