The Ohio State passing game has gone through Marvin Harrison Jr. over the past two years. And that's understandable, as Harrison is considered among the best wide-receiving prospects in NFL history.
Yet that makes it too easy to underrate the play of Cade Stover. Nicknamed "Farmer Gronk," the linebacker-turned-tight end quietly became one of college football's most dynamic players at his position, showing off the ability to make contested catches and racing past defenders with the ball in his hands.
In only three years (and two full seasons) at tight end, Stover has notched more than 1,000 receiving yards, an impressive feat considering the Buckeyes' revolving door of first-round NFL receiving talent.
Stover has emerged as one of the top tight end prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. How did he reach this point? Here's what you need to know.
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Who is Cade Stover?
Stover is a 23-year-old tight end who spent all five of his collegiate seasons at Ohio State. He comes in at 6-3, 247 pounds.
Explaining Cade Stover's 'Farmer Gronk' nickname
There is a simple explanation behind Stover's nickname. He grew up on a farm in Mansfield, Ohio. He has since gone on to be a star tight end at Ohio State, with his play often eliciting comparisons to former Patriots and Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is nicknamed "Gronk."
Therefore, "Farmer Gronk" is a combination of Stover's background as a farmer and his athletic comparisons to Gronk.
Stover has acknowledged the nickname in the past. In a video about his farming, Stover said he wasn't sure how much he's made in Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) earnings, but said that he'd "rather be paid in tractors."
"I've got a ways to go before I get to Gronk, but yeah, it's good. It's good," Stover said, per WSYX.
Stover has shared that when his football career is over, he plans to return to farming.
"I just really want to play ball and then come back home and farm," Stover said, per The Athletic.
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Cade Stover position change
Collegiate athletes making a position change aren't necessarily uncommon. Those athletes doing so after they arrived with as much acclaim as Stover did at Ohio State are rare.
Stover reached Columbus as a four-star recruit, per 247Sports Composite Rankings, ranking as the No. 114 recruit in the 2019 class and the No. 4 prospect in the state of Ohio. He also was the No. 7 outside linebacker in the class.
It was in the 2020 season that Stover briefly saw time at tight end following his redshirt season in 2019, when he played a bit of both linebacker and defensive line.
Before the position change, coach Ryan Day praised Stover's skillset as one that would lend itself well to such a move.
“I think Cade, when you look at his skill set, his basketball background and his spatial awareness, his toughness, we think that he projects and can be a really good tight end,” Day said, per Eleven Warriors, in 2020.
He remained at tight end through the 2021 season, but wound up playing at linebacker in the 2021 Rose Bowl. It appeared he was set to return to his primary defensive position.
Though Stover felt playing tight end helped improve his defensive ability, he was ready to move back to linebacker, wanting to "impact that game every single play."
“I feel like linebacker, you take the handcuffs off me, you really let me just be me out there and impact the game,” Stover told Eleven Warriors in 2022.
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But before the 2022 season began, it became clear Stover's future home was still at tight end. He wound up making the change permanent before the season and had a standout year, hauling in 36 passes for 406 yards with five touchdowns. Only Harrison, Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming had more receiving yards, and only Harrison and Egbuka had more catches.
Unsurprisingly, there was little question over Stover's position heading into 2023. And he turned in another big year, hauling in 41 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns, all surpassed only by Harrison on the team.
Could he return to defense in the NFL? He's leaving little doubt about that, even if he said he'd be willing to do "whatever you need to win a ballgame," per Eleven Warriors.
"I'm playing tight end, no doubt about it," Stover said.
Cade Stover stats
| Year | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | FF |
| 2019 | LB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | LB/TE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | |
| 2021 | LB/TE | 13 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | TE | 13 | 36 | 406 | 11.3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2023 | TE | 12 | 41 | 576 | 14.0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Career | 82 | 1058 | 12.9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 |
