The John Mackey Award has been around since 2000 and is handed out by the Nassau County Sports Commission annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. With a bunch of preseason college football award watch lists being unveiled recently, the Mackey Award got in on all of the fun, with an Ohio State tight end landing on the preseason watch list.
To be frank, Ohio State has not been known for tight ends during its illustrious history, but this year, many believe Northwestern transfer Hunter Welcing could be a good one. He was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season and will be entering his Redshirt Senior campaign after transferring to Ohio State.
Last year, Welcing tallied 28 catches for 296 yards (10.6 avg.) and two touchdowns to lead the tight end position in Evanston. Nate Roberts is projected by many to be the starting tight end for OSU, but the experience of Welcing could win out, especially with the loss of Max Klare and Will Kacmarek, who are now both in the NFL. And don't worry, Buckeye fans, if Roberts does grab the starting nod and receive a bigger volume of time, he could be added to the watch list later in the season.
In the meantime, though, there's no doubt Welcing will be in the rotation with his size, experience, and ability.
.@hunter_welcing earns a spot on the John Mackey Award Watch List. 🌰 pic.twitter.com/n807DTtOdh
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 5, 2026
Ohio State has never had a John Mackey Award recipient, since it is arguably the best at producing elite wide receivers in the entire country, but it would be nice to get the recognition when the John Mackey Award is announced on December 11 during ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State tight end makes John Mackey 2026 preseason watch list