PITTSBURGH – Ohio State had its eighth Buckeye selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, as tight end Will Kacmarek was taken 87th overall by the Miami Dolphins.
Ohio State’s eight selections through the first three rounds at the most of any school in the country.
Additionally, with Ohio State tight end Max Klare being selected in the second round by the LA Rams. Klare and Kacmarek became the fourth and fifth tight ends drafted during the Ryan Day era:
Luke Farrell (2021: 145th Overall, 5th Round – Jacksonville Jaguars)
Jeremy Ruckert (2022: 101st Overall, 3rd Round– New York Jets)
Cade Stover (2024: 123rd Overall, 4th Round – Houston Texans)
Max Klare (2026: 61st Overall, 2nd Round – LA Rams)
Will Kacmarek (2026: 87th Overall, 3rd Round – Miami Dolphins)
Ohio State became the first school this decade to have two tight ends selected in the same NFL Draft class and this Buckeyes duo became the first in program history to accomplish this feat.
What They’re Saying:
Dolphins – Buckeyes Connection:
Miami has now drafted 16 Buckeyes, most recently selecting Isaiah Prince in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Kacmarek Ohio State Career Recap
Will is a big, talented tight end who played in 55 career games, including 24 as a Buckeye, and started 24 times
He finished with totals of 65 career catches for 761 yards and four touchdowns
Had 23 catches for 253 yards and two TDs as a Buckeye
Played in all 14 games in 2025, started 10 times and was named honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference
Career-long 47-yard reception came against Grambling State
Played in 12 games for the 2024 CFP national champions, started once (vs. Iowa) and had eight receptions for 86 yards
He missed four games during the middle part of the season with an injury
An OSU Scholar-Athlete majoring in human development and family services
Honors & Awards
Previous Press Releases on Ohio State NFL Draftees:
Buckeyes 2026 NFL Draft Notes:
Ohio State’s eight selections through the first three rounds at the most of any school in the country.
Ohio State had four Buckeyes taken in the top 11 and became the first program since the NFL merger to accomplish that feat (Previously: 1956: Notre Dame – 4 // 1967: Michigan State – 4).
Carnell Tate, 4th Overall, Round 1 – Tennessee Titans
Arvell Reese, 5th Overall, Round 1 – New York Giants
Sonny Styles, 7th Overall, Round 1 – Washington Commanders
Caleb Downs, 11th Overall, Round 1 – Dallas Cowboys
Overall with Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles all taken in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Ohio State has now had three Buckeyes taken in the top 10 of the NFL Draft for just the second time in program history and is the only program to accomplish this feat multiple times:
2016:
Joey Bosa, 3rd Overall, Round 1 – San Diego Chargers
Ezekiel Elliott, 4th Overall, Round 1 – Dallas Cowboys
Eli Apple, 10th Overall, Round 1 – New York Giants
2026:
Carnell Tate, 4th Overall, Round 1 – Tennessee Titans
Arvell Reese, 5th Overall, Round 1 – New York Giants
Sonny Styles, 7th Overall, Round 1 – Washington Commanders
As noted above, Oklahoma (2010) and Alabama (2021) are the only other programs to accomplish this once.
Ohio State had a pair of Buckeyes taken in the top five of the NFL Draft on four occasions over the last 30 years (since 1996) and is the only school in the country who has achieved this milestone this multiple times:
1997:
Orlando Pace, 1st Overall, Round 1 – St. Louis Rams
Shawn Springs, 3rd Overall, Round 1 – Seattle Seahawks
2016:
Joey Bosa, 3rd Overall, Round 1 – San Diego Chargers
Ezekiel Elliott, 4th Overall, Round 1 – Dallas Cowboys
2020:
Chase Young, 2nd Overall, Round 1 – Washington Redskins
Jeff Okudah, 3rd Overall, Round 1 – Detroit Lions
2026:
Carnell Tate, 4th Overall, Round 1 – Tennessee Titans
Arvell Reese, 5th Overall, Round 1 – New York Giants
With that, Alabama (2023), Oklahoma (2010), Auburn (2005), Texas (2002), Penn State (2000) and Illinois (1996) have all accomplished this on one occasion.
Since Ryan Day officially was named Ohio State’s head coach on Dec. 4, 2018, Ohio State has had 23 alumni declare for the NFL Draft early and forgo their final year of eligibility and all of them have been drafted with 14 being picked in the first round.
2019:
Nick Bosa, 2nd Overall, Round 1 – San Francisco 49ers
Dwayne Haskins, 15th Overall, Round 1 – Washington Redskins
Michael Jordan, 136th Overall, Round 4 – Cincinnati Bengals
2020:
Chase Young, 2nd Overall, Round 1 – Washington Redskins
Jeff Okudah, 3rd Overall, Round 1 – Detroit Lions
J.K. Dobbins, 55th Overall, Round 2 – Baltimore Ravens
2021:
Justin Fields, 11th Overall, Round 1 – Chicago Bears
Tommy Togiai, 132nd Overall, Round 4 – Cleveland Browns
2022:
Garrett Wilson, 10th Overall, Round 1 – New York Jets
Nicholas Petit-Frere, 69th Overall, Round 3 – New Orleans Saints
2023:
C.J. Stroud, 2nd Overall, Round 1 – Houston Texans
Paris Johnson Jr., 6th Overall, Round 1 – Arizona Cardinals
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 20th Overall, Round 1 – Seattle Seahawks
Luke Wypler, 190th Overall, Round 6 – Cleveland Browns
2024:
Marvin Harrison Jr., 4th Overall, Round 1 – Arizona Cardinals
Mike Hall Jr., 54th Overall, Round 2 – Cleveland Browns
2025:
Josh Simmons, 32nd Overall, Round 1 – Kansas City Cheifs
Quinshon Judkins, 36th Overall, Round 2 – Cleveland Browns
2026:
Carnell Tate, 4th Overall, Round 1 – Tennessee Titans
Arvell Reese, 5th Overall, Round 1 – New York Giants
Caleb Downs, 11th Overall, Round 1 – Dallas Cowboys
Kayden McDonald, 36th Overall, Round 2 — Houston Texans
Max Klare, 61st Overall, Round 2 – LA Rams
Ohio State’s currently active streak of at least one first rounder goes back to 2016, the longest in the Big Ten and the second longest in the NCAA, trailing only Alabama who trace their streak back to 2009.
Ohio State further set a record on Thursday, April 23 by becoming the first school to reach 99 draft picks in a school’s history.
Total First Rounders by School (current through 2026 first round)
Rank
School
Total First Round Picks
1.
Ohio State
99
2.
USC
87
3.
Alabama
85
4.
Notre Dame
73
5.
Miami
71
6.
Florida
60
7.
Texas
58
8.
Michigan
55
9.
LSU
54
10.
Georgia
53
11.
Oklahoma
51
12.
Tennessee
48
13.
Florida State
47
14.
Penn State
45
15.
Clemson
42
16.
Texas A&M
38
17.
UCLA
37
18.
Michigan State
36
19.
Nebraska
34
20.
Auburn
33
T21.
Washington
31
T21.
Wisconsin
31
T23.
Cal
27
T23.
North Carolina
27
T23.
Pitt
27
Since Ryan Day officially was named Ohio State’s head coach on Dec. 4, 2018, Ohio State has produced 20 First Round picks and a total of 67 total drafted players. As noted below, that first round total ranks second in the country.
Position-Specific Notes:
First Round Wide Receivers by School Since 2022
Rank
School
1st Round WRs
Total WR Selected
Percentage of WR Selected in 1st Round
1.
Ohio State
6
6
100%
T2.
Texas
2
4
50%
T2.
USC
3
5
50%
T2.
LSU
2
3
67%
T5.
Alabama
1
3
33%
T5.
Florida
1
3
33%
T5.
Washington
1
3
33%
T5.
Colorado
1
3
33%
T5.
Penn State
1
2
50%
T5.
South Carolina
1
2
50%
T5.
Arizona
1
2
50%
T5.
Boston College
1
1
100%
T5.
Arizona State
1
1
100%
T5.
Texas A&M
1
1
100%
T5.
Indiana
1
1
100%