COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State football program is expected to sign four-star tight end Nate Roberts during the early signing period for the 2025 recruiting class, which lasts from Dec. 4-6. Learn more about this member of the Buckeyes’ recruiting class with this profile.
Nate Roberts
School: Washington (Washington, Oklahoma)
Position: Tight end
Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
247Sports rating: Four-star prospect rated the No. 9 tight end and third-best recruit in Oklahoma. 247Sports composite’s No. 161 player nationally.
Other offers: Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, California, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UNLV, USF, Utah, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin.
What’s his deal?
Nate Roberts, a one-time Notre Dame commit, backed off his pledge and re-opened his recruitment. The Buckeyes were there to take advantage, and earned his commitment on the morning of the Spring Game in April.
He’s a prototypical tight end and has the requisite size and athleticism to play the position at the Big Ten level. Don’t expect him to line up out wide when he gets to Columbus, considering he fits better as an in-line tight end, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a fit in the offense. He can do pretty much everything the Buckeyes would ask of him.
He’s a better receiver than a blocker, and it’s a big reason that five-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair was so keen on getting him into the class. When he gets to Columbus, the learning curve shouldn’t be very steep.
His outlook at Ohio State
Roberts will have some interesting competition in front of him.
Tight end is a very difficult position to translate to the college level, so it’s a stretch that he’ll be ready to play in 2025, or potentially even 2026. Then, there’s a few prospects ahead of him.
Jelani Thurman is a wildly athletic prospect that will be entering his third season in 2025, and he might be around for two more seasons. Then there’s Max LeBlanc, a freshman in 2024, and Damarion Witten, who is operating as a flex receiver and tight end.
Roberts was courted by the majority of the major programs in the country, and he fits as a three-down tight end.