Receiver Carnell Tate leans on Calvin Ridley as Titans rookie learns new offense

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Look for Tennessee wide receiver Carnell Tate during practice and the rookie can be found kneeling or standing next to veteran Calvin Ridley, listening intently.

The No. 4 pick in April's NFL draft out of Ohio State is learning the Titans' new offense, trying to fit into the NFL and picking up as much knowledge as possible from someone who knows both well.

“Oh, I try to pick Rid’s brain every chance I get, and I used to grow up watching Rid (in his) Alabama days,” Tate said. "Rid is an elite receiver, his moves elite. So I try and soak as much as possible from Rid.”

Tate is Tennessee's future and arguably Cam Ward's top target already with the preseason opener Thursday night at San Francisco. Ridley? Well, the Titans brought him in with a splashy free agent contract in 2024, and Ridley had to restructure that deal in March to stick around after an injury-plagued 2025 season.

Going into his eighth season at 31, Ridley said he likes living in Nashville and working with a talented, young group of receivers in Tennessee.

“I want to have fun and win some games right here,” Ridley said. "This is where I came, and we need to get a good winning season before I check out.”

Ridley was the 26th overall pick in the 2018 draft by Atlanta, but his career has been more about promise and potential than production. The speedy receiver who loves running deep routes has had only three 1,000-yard seasons — two more than the season lost to a gambling suspension.

Since signing his deal with Tennessee to join his third team, Ridley has caught four touchdown passes. He played every game in 2024 only to have injuries limit him to seven in 2025, with a broken leg ending his season. He calls Tate “a very, very special kid” that he loves watching.

“I definitely heard a lot of young guys say my name,” Ridley said. “That’s because I used to kick (expletive) for sure, and I still can.”

That made selecting a wide receiver with its top pick the obvious choice for Tennessee, even with the free agent signing of Wan'Dale Robinson. Tate brings size at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds. He was productive at Ohio State with 121 catches for 1,872 yards and 14 TDs, with a catch in 37 of the 39 games played.

Even better? Tate has sticky hands.

Pro Football Focus tracking had Tate without a single drop in 66 passes thrown at him in 2025. Only four other receivers were targeted more without a drop. Tate dropped only five passes on 161 targets in three seasons at Ohio State.

“His catch radius is pretty impressive,” first-year coach Robert Saleh said.

With all the investment in wide receivers, second-year quarterback Cam Ward should be the biggest beneficiary along with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Tennessee ranked 30th in the NFL averaging a measly 166.1 yards passing last season.

Ward threw for 3,169 yards with 15 TDs and only seven interceptions. He didn't have a ton of help with rookies making 136 catches, second in the NFL to Cleveland's 159 such receptions. It was the most catches by rookies since this franchise became the Titans in 1999.

For Tate, it's been a non-stop process since the NFL combine to the draft, landing with Tennessee and now his first training camp. The rookie is trying to learn the whole playbook, just as he did at Ohio State.

Tate showed off his pass-catching skills in a scrimmage Friday night at Nissan Stadium, stretching for a one-handed grab of a pass from Ward. On Sunday, Tate had fans cheering going over cornerback Cor'Dale Flott to catch a pass in the corner of the end zone with Tate spiking the ball after his second TD of the session.

Ward said he expects such catches out of the rookie based on the crazy plays he's already seen in his work with Tate.

“He has great hands, he has a great feel for space,” Ward said.

The Titans travel Monday ahead of their preseason opener with a first joint practice Tuesday. That's the first of three joint practices against each of Tennessee's preseason opponents — playoff teams all, including defending champion Seattle.

“We get to go work our stuff against them," running back Tyjae Spears said. "It’s going to turn out great.”

Saleh said the 49ers, who he was defensive coordinator for last season, reported earlier than the Titans, making for compromises on planning reps for the joint practice.

“They’re getting much healthier and they’re more than confident that they’ll be ready to go come (Tuesday),” Saleh said.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) runs with the ball during the NFL football team's training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) speaks at a news conference during the NFL football team's training camp Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley makes a catch during the NFL football team's training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley (0) and Carnell Tate (14) stand stand together after practice during the NFL football team's training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley, right, Carnell Tate (14) talks with each other after practice during the NFL football team's training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

PHOENIX (AP) — The CEO and founder of Frederick Flips is a busy man. So busy it's easy to wonder sometimes how interested Fred Richard is in keeping the main thing the main thing.

The underlying tone of the social media content the 22-year-old gymnast and the rest of his five-man business team produce for Richard's growing legion of followers gives off the vibe of someone who doesn't take himself — or his sport — too seriously.

Most of that is by design. The athlete who has made it his mission to bring gymnastics to a new audience knows making it seem like fun is a vital part of that process.

It's hardly the only part. And any questions about how invested Richard is in this whole thing were answered Saturday night, when he became the second Black gymnast to win a men's all-around title.

Richard pulled away from Shane Wiskus and Danila Leykin with six polished and professional routines, offering tangible proof that underneath goofing around on TikTok, his plan to be the face of the men's Olympic program in Los Angeles in two years is very much in full swing.

“Winning matters to show that your process is working,” Richard said late Saturday.

That's even if Richard's process can sometimes be at odds with the norms of a sport that has looked a certain way since long before the Massachusetts native was born.

When Richard saluted the judges this weekend, he did it while wearing a uniform that ran afoul of the rules. And we're not talking about the singlet that featured his trademark across his chest.

Rather than don stirrup pants — long the de facto uniform on events like pommel horse — Richard opted for shorts with white compression leggings underneath. It's something he began experimenting with during the later stages of his college career at Michigan, and one he has no plans of abandoning in domestic events even if it means receiving a three-tenths neutral deduction each time.

On Thursday night, that meant his lead over Leykin was slimmer than it had to be. That didn't stop Richard from taking the same deduction at the start of the competition on Saturday, admitting he was more than willing to potentially jeopardize his shot at a national title to make a statement.

“I told you I’d laugh if that happens,” Richard said.

It didn't come to that. He put together an energetic and confident performance to win by more than two points over Wiskus, a 2020 Olympian, and the promising 19-year-old Leykin.

When Richard landed his vault during the final rotation — one that remains a work in progress as he tries to get his power under control — to seal the victory, he turned toward the crowd inside the Mortgage Matchup Center and flashed the “No. 1” sign before posing for a selfie atop the medal stand while asking the fans in the background to join in.

Hey, the brand is the brand. And Richard doesn't believe he has to choose between being a funny, charismatic and remarkably self-aware influencer and a champion. Yes, his uniform choice was a conversation starter. He doesn't think it should distract from what he does while wearing it.

“When you come to a competition, nothing else matters besides staying in your zone, focusing on the details and going for those skills,” he said. “That’s all I came here to do, get better under pressure.”

Well, that and earn a spot on the national and world championship teams, roles he surprisingly missed out on a year ago that seemed to mute the glow from helping the American men win their first team medal in 16 years at the 2024 Olympics.

He promised in the aftermath to get back to work, and with Olympic teammates Brody Malone and Asher Hong out this week — Malone is taking a break while Hong, a two-time national champion, is recovering from an ankle injury — Richard spent his time in the desert showing he's ready to lead in something other than clicks.

The teenager who announced himself by earning a surprise bronze in the all-around at the 2023 world championships is evolving. He served as a captain at Michigan, and as the window opens on his prime, he seems ready to pick up the mantle as a U.S. leader.

“I feel like I’m not like, OK, there’s older guys that are like veterans, but I feel I’m entering that veteran territory,” he said. “It’s not my first worlds. It’s not first Olympics.”

Even if there is plenty to do to assure himself of a place on the team that will step into the spotlight only a home Olympics provides two summers from now. He knows he needs to upgrade the difficulty in some of his routines to become a legitimate medal threat in Los Angeles.

He'll get a litmus test on where he currently stacks up when the American men take the floor at the world championships in the Netherlands in October. As encouraged as he is at how things are going, he's hardly satisfied.

The man who has a team of five working for him to keep his website and social media accounts booming understands there are a lot of 30-plus-hour weeks in the gym ahead. It's a grind, one he embraces when the camera isn't on.

He's hardly the only athlete who considers themselves an influencer. But the reality is anybody with a camera can become one. Not everyone can be a champion. As Los Angeles draws ever closer, Richard is leaning into the difference between the two.

“The No. 1 trait of the most successful athletes, athlete creators, people growing their sports, people hitting icon status is winning,” he said. “And I want to keep winning and pushing myself to see how much better I can get.”

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Fred Richard smiles after competing in the men's rings during the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Fred Richard competes in the men's pommel horse during the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Fred Richard competes in the men's rings event during the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)