For any young core to be successful, you need a leader. For Ohio, that leader has been Redshirt Senior Tyler Foster.

“With everything that goes on between coach Metz, the tight ends coach, and the other guys, I’m kind of the middle line of communication,” Foster said. “I also look out for everybody, whether it be on or off the field, to make sure everyone is on the straight and narrow, making sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to.”

In Ohio’s first home game of the season versus Long Island University, the offense scored three touchdowns, two of which were the first career touchdown receptions for tight ends new to Ohio.

Mason Williams, a true freshman, recorded his first career reception, a 32-yard touchdown reception, while Redshirt Sophomore Bryce Butler did the same with his first career reception, going for a nine-yard touchdown.

It’s uncommon to see so much production from several different tight ends. Teams usually approach the tight end position as a spot held by one or two guys — Ohio has been the complete opposite. Aside from Foster, Will Kacemarek, a redshirt sophomore, has taken plenty of valuable snaps for the Ohio offense, including a position-leading two touchdown receptions. Both Williams and Butler have seen less time on the field than both Kacemarek and Foster but have been able to contribute in big ways when they do see the field.

In 2022, Foster was the only tight end for Ohio to score a touchdown.

“We usually only play the two oldest, but we’ve played everybody this year,” Foster said. “I got hurt in the first game, which opened up opportunities for everybody else. I try to make sure their fundamentals are sound and that they’re doing their job.”

In Ohio’s Week 0 loss to San Diego State, Foster was injured early in the game and had to miss considerable time at the beginning of the season with an injury. While rehabbing from injury, Foster was able to step into a new and unexpected role on the team as a leader for the young guys, helping out coaches and making sure everything was running smoothly while sidelined with injury.

“I was mainly rehabbing, but at practice, I was doing the rotation for coach Metz and making sure the right guys were in at the right time,” Foster said. "On game day, I was keeping track of reps and trying to be a helpful person, whispering in their ears, making sure they were doing what they needed to do.”

Foster is not necessarily new to being a leader on the Bobcat offense, but he certainly feels to have a better grip on things in his second year as a starter.

“The catch I had in the Bowl game gave me a lot of confidence as a leader and a lot of people looked up to me because of that,” Foster said. “I would say that gave me a boost into that leadership role that I was thrust into last year, it gave me some confidence to actually do it.”

In overtime, seeking to cap off an excellent season with a bowl game victory, Quarterback CJ Harris found Foster in the back of the end zone, where he made a spectacular catch over the Wyoming defender for a game-winning touchdown, securing the first bowl game victory for the Bobcats since 2019. Foster’s catch in the Arizona Bowl will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Ohio Football history.

Since that game, Ohio’s tight ends have been utilized even more as a threat in the impressive Bobcat passing attack.

Foster is not just the leader on the field for the tight ends. The group has a strong bond off the field as well.

“They’re some of my best friends, I mean, Will Kacemarek is probably top three closest friends I have here,” Foster said. “Me and Bryce are super close; we’ve been getting close over time, and Mason just got here and he’s just been a great guy.”

The relationship that Foster and the tight ends have off the field directly results in the way in which they perform as a unit on the field.

“The more comfortable that we are together off the field, it’s sort of a direct translation. It makes communication easier and it allows us to move freely and fluently,” Foster said.

Led by Foster, the tight ends have been a prevalent part of the offense so far, with so much talent at the position alone, that is surely not soon to change.

“Having him (Foster) and Will (Kacemarek) and Mason (Williams) and Bryce Butler, we’ve got a group there,” Head Coach Tim Albin said following Ohio’s win over Iowa State. “We need to expand on that package, they’re weapons. They can run block and they can catch, so we should have some fun dialing up some plays to utilize their talents.”