Carnell Tate was born on January 19, 2005,[1] to Ashley Griggs and Sean Tate. He grew up in Chicago and played high school football in 2019 and 2020 at Marist High School in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood. As a junior in 2021, he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He totaled 750 receiving yards in eight games as a senior in 2022.[2] He was rated by Rivals.com as a five-star player the No. 7 recruit in the 2023 college football recruiting class.[3]
Ohio State
Tate committed to Ohio State in June 2022,[4] and enrolled there in January 2023. In July 2023, his mother was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago.[5]