Former Purdue tight end Max Klare has committed to Ohio State, he told ESPN. He’s the No. 1 tight end in the NCAA transfer portal in ESPN’s rankings.

Klare is a redshirt sophomore who will have two years of eligibility remaining. He emerged as one of the country’s most productive tight ends in 2024, hauling in 51 passes for 685 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Each of those numbers led the Boilermakers.

He pointed to coach Ryan Day’s history of developing players and the plan laid out to him by offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey as playing a big role in his decision.

“Really, when it came down to making the decision, Coach Day’s ability to develop players and send them off to the NFL, the developmental process for me was huge,” Klare told ESPN.

He added that the program’s annual high ceiling also played into the decision.

“Just an opportunity to win a national championship and develop into a better player and play against the best competition, day in and day out,” Klare said, “and being around a lot of likeminded individuals that are going to push me to be my best.”

ESPN’s No. 20 overall player in this transfer portal class, he chose Ohio State over strong interest from Texas, Michigan, Louisville and Texas A&M.

Klare’s commitment continues a strong week for Ohio State, which advanced in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday night with a blowout win over Tennessee. Ohio State announced earlier Monday that it added West Virginia transfer tailback C.J. Donaldson, who has 2,058 career rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. The Buckeyes also got commitments Monday from former Idaho State defensive end Logan George and former Minnesota offensive tackle Phillip Daniels.

Ohio State prioritized Klare as a portal target after seeing the Big Ten production and the potential in his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame.

Klare hails from Guilford, Indiana, on the outskirts of Cincinnati. He attended Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School, the powerhouse program that has produced numerous notable players including Luke Kuechly and coaches such as Tom O’Brien.

Klare noted that it’s only about an hour and 40 minute drive for his family to see him play.

“I played high school football in Ohio,” he said. “Coming back to Ohio and playing college football there was really cool for me to be able to do that and stay close to the family.”

Klare redshirted at Purdue in 2022, appearing in just one game. He played in five games in 2023, making four starts before an injury cut his season short. He had 22 catches for 196 yards in 2023 in that stint.

He broke out in 2024, finishing No. 6 nationally among tight ends in receiving yards and catching 33 passes that were converted into first downs.

He said he is looking forward to going up against star Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in practice every day. Downs will be one of the top defensive players in college football in 2025.

“Playing against him every day and then going out and playing on Saturday makes it a lot easier in terms of the preparation part,” he said. “Being able to go against the best every day is huge for your development.”

Klare said he came away impressed by the staff and the plan they laid out for him.

“There was a great connection with Coach [Bailey],” he said. “We see a lot of things the same way. He’s a hungry coach who is going to push me to be my best and get everything out of me.”

ESPN’s Max Olson contributed reporting.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck underwent successful surgery Monday on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), school officials announced, and he will not be available for the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff.

Beck is expected to make a full recovery, according to the school’s release, and he will resume throwing in the spring. The surgery was performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Beck and his parents had been consulting with different doctors and specialists to determine the best course of treatment after he was injured on the final play of the first half in second-ranked Georgia’s 22-19 overtime win against Texas in the SEC championship game Dec. 7.

Beck has not practiced with the team since that game. ESPN reported last week that Georgia has been preparing to play without Beck in the playoff since resuming practice after the SEC championship game.

Redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton will take over as Georgia’s starting quarterback. He helped rally the Bulldogs from a 6-3 halftime deficit against the Longhorns and played the entire second half and all but the final play of overtime after Beck was sidelined. Stockton ran the ball to the 4-yard line in overtime and took a vicious hit, sending his helmet flying. He had to leave for a play, and Beck re-entered the game and handed off to Trevor Etienne for the game-winning touchdown.

Stockton finished 12-of-16 for 71 yards, no touchdowns and an interception against Texas. He was sacked twice.

The Sugar Bowl matchup against Notre Dame on Jan. 1 will be Stockton’s first career start. He has appeared in four games this season for the Bulldogs (11-2) after playing in two games the year before as a redshirt freshman.

The 6-1, 215-pound Stockton is more of a running threat than Beck, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart downplayed how that might impact the Bulldogs’ game plan against the Irish.

“You know, I think we are who we are in regards to that,” Smart told reporters. “I mean, we’ve played an entire season offensively. You know, Gunner is a good athlete. I think Carson’s a good athlete. So, it’s one of those deals that I don’t know how much it changes things.”

Beck was rated as the No. 4 quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. The 22-year-old led the SEC with 28 touchdown passes this season and was third with 3,485 passing yards, but he also threw 12 interceptions in 13 games.

Once again, Bevo will not be making the trip to Atlanta, as the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl announced Monday that there is not enough room on the sideline in Mercedes Benz-Stadium for the Texas Longhorns mascot.

Earlier this month, Bevo was not allowed to travel to the SEC championship game, at the same venue, for the same reason. Texas faces Arizona State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal Jan. 1.

pic.twitter.com/ZFFS6qO1QO

— Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (@CFAPeachBowl) December 23, 2024

The Peach Bowl said in a statement, “We love all of the great traditions of college football and no doubt, Bevo is one of the best, but the unfortunate reality is there is simply not enough room on the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“With the constraints of the stadium and prioritizing the safety of Bevo, the players, all the network cameras, support staff, cheerleaders, and photographers, we unfortunately will not be able to have Bevo on the field.”

The 1,700-pound Bevo XV, with a horn span of 58 inches, would need a significantly sized enclosure to fit securely on the sideline. Bevo made the trip to the 2019 Sugar Bowl, where he famously came charging out of his pen toward Georgia mascot Uga.