2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ohio State TE Cade Stover

Ohio State football headshots Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Cade Stover

Ohio State

Report Grade

Position Rank

Overall Rank

Cade Stover

Ohio State

Player Comp

Projection

Height

6041

Weight

255

40 Time

4.65*

Class

Super Redshirt Junior
* Projected

TE

Combine Measurables

Arm Length

N/A

Hand Size

N/A

Wingspan

N/A

3 Cone

N/A

Vertical

N/A

Broad Jump

N/A

Bench Press

N/A

Shuttle

N/A

Career Stats

YearSchoolClassGamesReceptionsReceiving YardsYards Per ReceptionTouchdownsRushing AttemptsRushing YardsYards Per Rushing AttemptRushing Touchdowns
2020Ohio StaterFR200--000--0
2021Ohio StaterFR757615.2000--0
2022Ohio StaterSO133640611.3500--0

Strengths

  • Very strong body, and excellent brute strength.
  • Explosive athlete with a lot of lower body drive and power.
  • Solid hands and will be very effective in stretching the short-to-intermediate areas of the field.
  • Capable pass blocker and a solid run blocker.

Weaknesses

  • Athleticism won’t be on par with other tight ends in the class.
  • Doesn’t show a lot of body control, and tends to be a loose athlete.
  • Not a great route runner. Tends to round his routes.

Bio

2024 NFL Draft: Ohio State TE Cade Stover Draft Profile and Scouting Report

Cade Stover is one of the coolest stories in college football. Stover grew up on a farm owned by his parents, who were both athletes at Bowling Green. He built himself into a force of nature tossing hay and performing other farm chores. He made the move from defensive end to tight end over the 2022 offseason, emerging as a serious offensive threat in the Buckeyes offense. Stover enters 2023 considered as a 4th-round/top 150 prospect by 6+ NFL teams.

Cade Stover 40 Time

Projected 40 Time: 4.65 seconds

Cade Stover is impressive as a tight end prospect because it’s a position that he is still learning how to play the position. He’s very strong and a very capable athlete, with brute strength and power in his frame. He’s a capable receiver, showing good, strong hands and the ability to move effectively in space. As a blocker, Stover offers good ability as both a run blocker and a pass blocker.

As an athlete, Cade may not match up as well with other tight ends in the upcoming class. He doesn’t have a lot of top-end speed and his body control isn’t ideal. While he can be a good receiver, I don’t see the consistency I want to see with him catching through contact, and he doesn’t offer a great catch radius.

Recruiting Bio

Cade Stover was a four-star linebacker prospect coming out of Lexington High in Mansfield, Ohio, graded with a 93.69 rating per On3’s Industry Ranking. He held several offers from blue-blood schools, including Oklahoma, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Penn State among others.

Stover was Ohio’s Mr. Football and Gatorade’s Player of the Year as a senior. He was selected as Ohio’s Division III Player of the Year after making 163 tackles and four interceptions during the regular season, adding 1477 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground as a running back. Believe it or not, Stover is actually his high school’s all-time scoring leader in basketball, where he earned second-team all-Ohio honors as a junior.

Stover is estimated to be worth $373k in NIL, the 123rd highest-valued college football athlete in the country. He currently holds NIL deals with Rocky Boots, Central Ohio Farmer’s Co-Op, and Clean Eatz.

Accolades

  • 2022 3rd Team All-Big Ten

2024 TE Rankings

#1

Brock Bowers

TE – Georgia

#2

Ja’Tavion Sanders

TE – Texas

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