Apr. 1—COLUMBUS — Max Klare was looking for more. That’s how the senior tight end who was Purdue’s leading receiver last season ended up at Ohio State.
Klare — who grew up in Cincinnati and played for football power Cincinnati St. Xavier — had 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Boilermakers, who finished last in the Big Ten and had a 1-11 record.
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Klare entered the transfer portal and upgraded his situation individually and team-wise when he announced on Dec. 23 that he was going to Ohio State.
He indicated after a recent spring practice that one of the big reasons, maybe the biggest reason, he came to OSU is that he wants to become a complete tight end.
“Coach (Keenan) Bailey hit on all the things I wanted to hear and some things I didn’t want to hear (while being recruited). You want to be in an environment that’s going to push you in all aspects of the game,” Klare said.
“I think just the environment and the people here — the coaches with so much experience and the players you get to play against every day — it’s going to make you better. It’s amazing. There’s so much talent here it’s unbelievable. It makes everyone better.
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“Being a tight end is not just about pass catching; you’ve got to block, and I think that’s something that I want to keep developing. And going against these guys (in practice) every day is going to make you better. I think I have a vision of where I want to be as a tight end, and I think this place gives me the best opportunity to do that,” he said.
Ohio State appears to have depth at tight end with Klare, Will Kacmarek, Jelani Thurman and Bennett Christian all trying to replace last year’s starter Gee Scott Jr.
Kacmarek, who suffered a broken arm against Oregon in mid-October last season and missed four games, has been known more for his blocking than his pass catching after transferring from Ohio University. Thurman has six career catches and Christian has two.
OSU tight ends coach Bailey said, “He (Klare) has been doing really well, acclimating well. Probably the most impressive thing is how seamless the transition has been to our unit. On the field, he’s playing well. We knew he’d play well. As a receiver, he’s pretty polished,” Bailey said.
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One tangible indication of Klare buying into OSU’s culture was losing his black stripe on his helmet after the Buckeyes’ eighth spring practice. The black stripe is a tradition started by Urban Meyer when he was Ohio State’s coach. Having it removed signifies becoming a full-fledged member of the team.
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