Sophomore Tight End Nate Roberts Ready For Bigger Role In 2026

Rising sophomore tight end Nate Roberts had a very promising freshman season for the Buckeyes. Unlike the vast majority of true freshmen who come into Columbus, Roberts found a definitive role for himself at fullback last year.

Although he had never played fullback before, the Washington, Okla., native received a solid chunk of playing time in 13 games to make four catches for 30 yards.

This year, though, it seems as if Roberts will be much more than a fullback for the Buckeyes. Roberts said that tight ends coach Keenan Bailey told him to be prepared for a larger role following the departures of last year’s main contributors at tight end, Max Klare and Will Kacmarek.

“(Bailey) wanted to see me step into a bigger role this year,” Roberts said. “Obviously, Max and Will are both gone, so I needed to step up. But bringing (Northwestern transfer Hunter Welcing) in and (Ohio University transfer Mason Williams) in, it was a brand new room, wide open. So (his message) was really just to go out there and compete.

“You’re going to play every position, as the tight end, you’re going to play the Y, you’re going to play the H, you’re going to be moved around a lot. The conversations that we had were just to go out there, do your job as well as you can. The room’s going to be wide open, and we’ll see how it plays out after the spring.”

Roberts mainly gained his experience at fullback in short-yardage situations where he was used as a blocker, but he occasionally also ran routes. Roberts said that he was more than willing to play fullback, despite not having prior experience at that position, if it meant helping the team.

“Coming into the year, I was just trying to help the team as much as I could,” Roberts said. “So in the fall camp, we were putting the fullback package in. I was put in there. I was trying to do my job as well as I could. I did it well enough, and I was able to go out there on Saturdays and get the job done. But I was really excited with the production I was able to have last year as a freshman, and I am trying to build on that for this year.”

It almost seems like a certainty that Roberts will earn playing time at tight end this year, not only because of how impressive he was as a freshman, but also because newly-hired offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was known for his willingness to utilize multiple tight ends during his time as a coach in the NFL.

Roberts said Smith has already made an impact on the tight ends in the spring.

“He’s a great coach, and just being able to listen to him and how he runs his offense, and knowing that he’s been at every single level — he’s such a smart guy,” Smith said. “He comes over in our (independent drills) and teaches us, and helps with our footwork and some of our routes, just because he’s been through the game for so long. But listening to his offense and being in it for a couple weeks now, I really enjoy it. I love it. I love his offense, and I know it’ll help me for the next level.”

With the new role that is likely headed Roberts’ way, there are different parts of his game that he will have to enhance at tight end. Roberts said he’s ready to show what he’s capable of.

“I’m (ready to show that) I’m able to block at that in-line (tight end position) and be able to run routes,” Roberts said. “They’ve only seen me go out of the fullback spot really. I think that’s really all they got to see. But this year, I’m ready to show that I’m the all-around tight end and able to do everything.”