Leading up to his seventh season of college football, Ohio State tight end Hunter Welcing was named on the watch list for the Mackey Award.
The award is given each year to the top tight end in college football, and Welcing was one of 44 players named to the preseason list.
Each of Welcing’s first six seasons in college were spent at Northwestern before he transferred to Ohio State over the offseason. He hopes to be part of replacing production from Max Klare and Will Kacmarek, who were both taken in the NFL draft in April.
In his 2025 season, Welcing caught 28 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns, which was enough to earn him honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Recreating that productivity with the Buckeyes is far from a sure thing for Welcing, who is trying to earn playing time in what seems to be a crowded tight end room. He is joined by Ohio transfer Mason Williams and sophomore Nate Roberts, who earned time with the Scarlet and Gray last season as a true freshman and is hoping to push for more playing time. Bennett Christian will also factor into the equation for the OSU offense in some way.
However, the Buckeyes were not shy about using heavy personnel last season with as many as four tight ends on the field at once at times, Roberts lining up as a fullback when that was the case. That being said, if Welcing proves that he can compete in games, he will find his way on the field for Ohio State.
Eli Stowers of Vanderbilt took home the Mackey Award for the 2025 season. For this season, the semifinalists will be announced in October, the finalists in November, and the winner will be revealed on ESPN at the College Football Awards in December.
