Ohio State tight end Max Klare is leaving school early to declare for the NFL draft, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
Klare will be one of the draft’s top tight ends as he comes off a season in which he had 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns. He is the No. 5 draft-eligible tight end in positional rankings by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
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He came to Ohio State from Purdue, where he had strong production over his three seasons and was the Boilermakers’ leading receiver in 2024. Klare has 116 catches for 1,329 yards and six touchdowns over his college career.
Klare joins a strong tight end group in the draft that’s expected to include Oregon‘s Kenyon Sadiq, who also declared Tuesday, and Vanderbilt‘s Eli Stowers. Texas‘ Jack Endries and Cincinnati‘s Joe Royer are also projected near the top.
Klare brings dynamism to the pass game, as he averaged 13.4 yards per catch in 2024 and 10.4 this year. His best game this season came against Rutgers with seven catches, 105 yard and a touchdown.
Klare joins wide receiver Carnell Tate, safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Arvell Reese and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald as Ohio State players who have declared for the draft.