The Ohio State Buckeyes saw their College Football Playoff run end with a 24-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl.
Since then, roster changes have come quickly in Columbus, and on Tuesday, the Buckeyes saw tight end Max Klare decide to leave school early and head for the 2026 NFL Draft. The Buckeyes tight end announced the news on his Instagram page.
Klare was a three-star prospect who had offers from programs including Georgia Tech, Tulane, Cincinnati, Duke and Purdue. He committed to Duke before flipping to Purdue in December 2021.
Klare spent three seasons at Purdue, catching 73 passes for 881 yards and four touchdowns in 19 games. He entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season and wound up committing to Ohio State.
In Klare’s only season in Columbus, he caught 43 passes for 448 yards with a pair of scores, including a season-high 7 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in the 42-9 win over Rutgers on November 22. He finished third in both receptions and yards, and he was behind Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate in those categories.
Klare enters a talented tight end class in this year’s NFL Draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had him as the No. 5 tight end in the class with Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Cincinnati’s Joe Royer on top of the list.
