A 2-star recruit from St. Louis, Missouri, Will Kacmarek went from group of five afterthought to a key contributor on a National Championship team. Originally attending the University of Ohio, Kacmarek would redshirt his freshman season. The following year, however, he would start for the Bobcats and haul in 20 receptions for 264 yards, while also providing elite run blocking. In Kacmarek’s third and final year at Ohio, his production would remain largely the same. Despite the lack of flashy statistics, he would transfer to The Ohio State University, which valued his size, athleticism, and tenacious run blocking. Over two years at Ohio State, Kacmarek would cement himself as one of college football’s best run blockers and be publicly praised by staff for his impact. In 2024, he would go on to win a National Championship with the Buckeyes.
Will showcases above-average physical traits, at 6 ‘5 ½ and 261 pounds, he moves well, showcasing impressive speed and burst to pair with his exceptional strength. His weaknesses in this department are arm length and hand size, which rank in the 29th and 45th percentiles, respectively. Will plays with edge; he seeks out contact, plays through the whistle, and puts his heart into every single play, regardless of his task. His mental makeup and mentality make up for his lack of polish in some areas, and were a key reason that he saw significant snaps in the Big 10.
Will provides most of his value in run blocking; throughout his career, he has lined up almost exclusively in-line. He is a tenacious and aggressive run blocker who displays immense strength and burst, he plays through the whistle and drives defenders back with great speed leaving them helpless on their heels or pancaked on the turf. You get a feel from the tape that he loves blocking and wants to be an annoyance to defenders with his unrelenting effort and trash talk after the whistle, setting the tone for his teammates. Despite his dominance as a space clearer, Will has room to grow regarding technique, I noticed that when a defender is square to his right he leads too hard with his right arm and dips his helmet too low, often leaving his body more open than angled and making his left half useless, this issue was exposed several times against Miami where it felt like he was left in no-mans land after a weak attempt.
As a receiver, Kacmarek possesses strong hands that led to no registered drops in 2025; his strong hand-catching ability is certainly impressive for someone with sub-par hand size and who registered very few targets throughout his career. Will shows the ability to finish through contact and high-point the ball well despite limited vertical and reach. Kacmarek is not a very good route runner, he has trouble slowing himself down and rounds off routes, he displays a nice burst on inside releases. His route tree is limited by overall lack of quickness, and the majority of his receptions will come on chip and checkdown routes, where he sells blocks well and is able to weasel his way to open space in zones. Will struggles to create after the catch, his lack of shake shows, and he is easily slowed and tackled, being caught flat-footed after catches. He is slow to turn his body upfield.
Kacmarek may not project as a particularly high upside player at the NFL level, but his incredible mentality and run blocking prowess should keep him around NFL rosters and practice squads for many years to come. He has the size and athletic profile that scouts look for in tight ends and has hands and a feel for zone that will make him feasible as a pass catcher who can haul in a couple of balls a season for the right team.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit: West Coast/San Francisco 49ers
The coach loves mobile blockers as much as Kyle Shanahan, often utilizing in-line tight ends with mobility who can provide downhill push in the run game and using creative motion for blockers to generate power. The 49ers always seem to keep several pure blockers to pair with George Kittle, and the nasty Will Kacmarek could be next in line
NFL Player Comp: Ko Kieft
Although possessing some more receiving upside than Kieft, I expect Kacmarek’s role to be nearly identical, a physical in-line mauler in the run game who is quick to the outside and physical on the interior, while not being used as a receiving option. Kieft is a quality NFL player who has made a career of doing the dirty work and just signed a contract extension with Tampa Bay.
Projection: Backup/Role Player
Kacmarek is a high floor-low ceiling prospect with a definitive role on an NFL team, this role is however, very limited by his lack of polish overall as a pass catcher and offensive playmaker. His archetype is more coveted by GM’s than by fans as a dirty work specialist.
Grade and Round Projection: 3.1, Round 6-7 Pick
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