NFL Draft Profile: Master Teague III, Running Back, Ohio State Buckeyes
#33
Pos: RB
Ht: 5110
Wt: 225
DOB: 5/19/00
Eligibility: 2022
Murfreesboro, TN
Blackman High School
Master Teague III
Ohio State Buckeyes
One-Liner:
Though he offers promising straight-line traits and has flashed in pass protection, Master Teague III is a very stiff back who struggles to consistently break tackles and make defenders miss; he is not a reliable pass-catching option.
Pros:
Ohio State has become a perennial offensive powerhouse fueled primarily by its depth at every position. One such place they have a wealth of options is at running back. Despite being buried on the depth chart in 2021, Master Teague III is a big back with several traits that reach or surpass the NFL threshold. Once a top-ten Feldman’s Freak, the Tennessee native is a plus linear athlete with above-average straight-line burst. What’s more, his long speed is impressive for his size. He is able to beat first and second-level defenders to the edge. He makes explosive jump cuts. Further, the 220+-pound back is a downhill runner with persistent leg drive through the whistle. Defenders tend to bounce off of him when they target his upper body; otherwise, he typically gains yards after contact and falls forward. Teague exhibits a strong stiff arm to keep defenders off his frame and the requisite balance to withstand contact when the stiff arm fails. While his vision is not a strength, the athletic back explodes through gaps and gains yards in bunches when he notices a crease. He works north-south in lieu of dancing or stalling when there is no clear hole to attack. In pass protection, Teague is physically strong enough to handle most defenders. He is completely unafraid of opponents coming downhill with momentum.
Cons:
Ohio State’s talent-rich offense naturally pushes certain players down the depth chart. Teague has been the victim of this trend multiple times throughout his career. Moreover, the Tennessee native has very little experience and production as a receiver. This makes his role on a given snap more predictable and, likewise, pigeonholes the offense itself into certain plays. Additionally, Teague is very high-waisted and stiff both in his hips and his ankles. He loses speed through cuts and cannot make clean changes of direction to hit a gap. Further, the experienced back is slow to accelerate. He cannot turn upfield fluidly after reaching the corner. What’s more, he struggles to work through physicality to his lower half and is regularly brought down by low tackles. To make matters worse, he functionally decreases his balance by playing upright. Though he typically falls forward to finish his runs, Teague is not a true tackle-breaker and is dragged down by arm tackles too often. While behind the line of scrimmage, Ohio State’s underused runner fails to see rushing lanes. As a result, he regularly hits his blockers’ backs. His stiffness relegates him to playing strictly within structure and precludes him from creating for himself. In pass protection, Teague’s angles and awareness need work. He does not attempt to lead block when afforded the opportunity; therefore, he is unproven in a fullback hybrid role.
Summary:
The Ohio State offense has been a factory in recent years, regularly producing top-tier talent. As a result, Master Teague III has been pushed down the depth chart. The athletic runner’s promising straight-line traits indicate he can contribute behind a stellar offensive line. His flashes in pass protection will be crucial to his finding a home in the NFL. That said, Teague’s stiffness, lack of versatility, and inability to both break tackles and make defenders miss cap his value. Teague is an early developmental piece with rotational contributor potential.
Background:
Born May 19th, 2000 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to parents Corey and Emily Teague, Master Teague III was a superstar at Blackman High School. As a junior, he ran 242 times for 2,031 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading his team to the Class 6A quarterfinals. Although his senior season ended prematurely thanks to an ankle injury, he carries the ball 18 times for 186 yards, made two receptions for 58 yards and returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the season opener. Teague’s stellar high school career earned him a four-star rating from 247Sports Composite Rankings. The same outlet named him the 228th-best recruit in the nation, the 11th-ranked running back that year and the sixth-overall player from Tennessee in his class. 247Sports, itself, saw him even more favorably. The service awarded him a four-star rating and named him the 139th-best recruit in the country, the sixth-ranked running back that year and the fourth-overall player from Tennessee in his class. Teague enrolled at Ohio State in January of 2018, in time to participate in spring drills. As a freshman, he put up 106 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries across four games. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, Teague was a key player who found the field in 13 games despite being behind a top runner in the nation, J.K. Dobbins. In his second year, he recorded 789 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 135 carries. He also made four catches for 60 yards. Teague was named Third Team All-Big Ten by the media and coaches. He also was listed as Academic All-Big Ten. In 2019, the Tennessee native was the Big Ten’s seventh-leading rusher despite being a backup. His 5.8 yards per carry were fifth in the conference. Heading into 2020, Teague was a very hyped name. He was listed seventh on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks list. The report claimed Teague has put up a 40+-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot broad jump and a 4.35 40-yard dash. All the same, he suffered an Achilles injury in the offseason. That said, he was not limited in the Big Ten’s shortened season. He played in seven games and started six. Teague recorded 514 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 carries. He also put up 46 receiving yards on five receptions. He was named Academic All-Big Ten and Second Team All-Big Ten by media and coaches. In 2021, Teague found himself buried on the depth chart behind two talented underclassmen, TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. Still, he played in seven games and ran for 355 yards and four touchdowns on 67 carries. He made two catches for 12 yards. Teague is a Communications major.
Grades:
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
6.0 / 6.8
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