At Ohio State, a tight end has often been an extension of the offensive line more so than an additional receiver. That has not been the case in the last two seasons with Cade Stover. Once a defensive player, Stover has made a full transition to the position and emerged as one of the best all-around tight ends in the country.
After announcing their defense and special teams awards on Tuesday, the Big Ten released its award winners on the offensive side of the ball. Stover was named the conference’s Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year in 2023. Stover becomes the first Buckeye tight end to take home the award since it was first given out in 2011.
Coming off his first season as a full-time starter at tight end for Jeremy Ruckert where he caught 36 passes for 406 yards and five touchdowns, Stover elected to return to the Scarlet and Gray for one more year. He was able to equal or better all of those statistics, catching 41 passes for 576 yards and reaching the endzone five times, and did so in two fewer games than he played in 2022. He led the Big Ten in touchdown receptions and yards per game (52.36) by a tight end.
