Max Klare arrived in Columbus with clear credentials and immediate expectations. The 6-foot-5, 243 pound tight end transferred to Ohio State in December 2024 after a breakout season at Purdue, where he led the Boilermakers with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns.
Klare’s move to the Buckeyes was one of the larger portal pickups of last year’s market. A classic “low risk, high reward” acquisition that has paid consistent dividends this fall.
Production this year vs. last year
Statistically, Klare’s numbers at Ohio State don’t match the volume he posted at Purdue in 2024, but context matters.
Through the 2025 campaign Klare has totaled 43 catches for 448 yards and tw0 touchdowns for the Buckeyes. That compares with the 51–685–4 line he posted as Purdue’s primary pass catcher in 2024.
While his numbers dipped in a system built to feed a star-studded receiver room, Klare’s efficiency and matchup flexibility consistently showed up. When Ohio State needed a timely play, whether outside or across the middle, he became one of the offense’s most dependable answers.
Impact beyond the box score: Why Klare matters for Ohio State
Klare’s value to the offense shows up most clearly in how he creates schematic flexibility.
At 6-foot-5 with a big catch radius, he demands attention in the seam and on intermediate routes, which opens up space for perimeter routes and the run game. That value was on full display in the Rutgers game on Nov. 22, when Klare paced the receiving corps with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, a performance that swung the in-game calculus when injuries and matchup problems depleted Ohio State’s usual wide receiver options.
In games earlier this season he has flexed between inline tight end work, move-TE split alignments and traditional receiver snaps, giving the Buckeye playcallers a dependable chess piece to deploy against different coverages. Those are the kinds of contributions that don’t always show up in season-long totals but matter massively in single games and in postseason planning.
Looking ahead, Klare will matter for two reasons.
First, his presence reduces single-coverage pressure on primary targets by forcing defenses to account for a matchup problem over the middle, particularly valuable in tight games and short-yardage red-zone sequences.
Second, his experience as a featured target at Purdue means he understands how to win contested catches and create YAC when plays break down. If the Buckeyes need someone to reliably move the chains or deliver a medium-range explosive in a playoff matchup, Klare is the kind of option that can swing a series or two in a one-score game.
The bottom line: a complementary star who raises Ohio State’s ceiling
Max Klare’s 2025 season at Ohio State may not replicate the raw numbers he produced at Purdue, but it would be a mistake to judge him only by counting stats.
He has added much needed route-running, size and reliability to the Buckeyes’ pass game at precisely the moments when their depth was tested. His Rutgers performance provided a clear reminder, when injuries and matchup problems bite, Klare is a true plug-and-play alternative who can step into a featured role and produce.
For a team with national title aspirations, that kind of dependable flexibility is invaluable, and Klare has provided it all season long.
