Ohio State Running Back Master Teague Out for Spring
Ohio State's #1 RB Master Teague suffered a serious injury on the first day of spring football and will be out for the rest of spring practice. The extent of the injury is unknown, but it's rumored to be an Achilles tendon.
This leaves OSU with only one healthy scholarship RB, potentially for all of spring practice.
“We’re one injury away from a little bit of a crisis right now, but in the end, when it comes to September, we’re gonna be okay,” Day said.
Steele Chambers was a freshman and redshirted last year after gaining 135 yards on 19 carries, mostly in garbage time. He's the one player available. He was a 4*, #231 nationally coming out of high school.
Marcus Crowley was also a freshman last year, injured his leg in November, then apparently injured his shoulder more recently. “We're going to get Marcus back before the season starts,” Day said on Monday. Their message boards are ominous that he will be back before spring ends. He was a 4*, #370 nationally out of high school.
That's it really. Demario McCall is a 5'9" 195 redshirt senior who's seemingly bounced around from WR to RB. He was listed as a slot WR on the first day of spring, but will likely be pulled back to RB duties now.
This Fall they'll have true freshman Miyan Williams enroll, who was a 3* and the #625 player nationally in this year's class. He's the only RB they bring in.
Yes, it's Ohio State, the guy behind him will be awesome. Marcus Allen will arrive through the transfer portal (though it doesn't seem like the top RBs available in the portal will have immediate eligibility). They'll all be healthy come Fall (which I do hope they recover and are able to play). It will all work out.
But as this article alludes to, it does magnify some pretty significant misses on the recruiting trail at the RB position for the Buckeyes last year. They needed a highly ranked player and probably at least two RBs, and only brought in one 3*.
I bet they will be fine.
I can't believe Harbaugh let the depth chart get so depleted at RB.
Harbaugh is responsible for the depth of OSU's RB's?
You must be talking Jay, because that nasty nepotism will get you every time. No dad should ever hire his kid to work for him. Even when it's right it's wrong. (do I need to put the /s? or can you tell?)
Last rumor I saw (Reddit, maybe) was Achilles strain, which would probably be best case scenario. Possibly dipping into the portal either way. McCall is actually pretty good, but he's been shuffled between tailback and receiver so often his head's probably permanently spinning. He is, of course, too small to be an every down back. Guys get hurt, but this is the worst possible position for a player to go down.
It just seems that if they really liked McCall, they wouldn't have moved him to slot WR this spring. With that depth chart, I can't imagine he ever would have gotten on the field. The RB depth chart was really thin even before the Teague injury, so if they believed he had offensive skills they would have let him stay there. It just seems like that move to slot was a way of setting him aside.
It is not the worst position for them to go down. That would be QB. If Fields goes down, then what?
He is, of course, too small to be an every down back
I think this is a vastly overrated idea. He's the same size as Karan Higdon was. Is 195 lbs undersized for a P5 RB?...yes. Is that a problem?...not necessarily.
this is the worst possible position for a player to go down.
Fields would be significantly worse IMO.
In terms of McCall, you're correct on size, but most of their boards/mods/staff mention that he's not an every down back. Maybe his listed size and weight are off, but it's mentioned in nearly every breath with him moving back to RB he's not an every down solution.
In terms of impact, I'd agree you're correct its Fields. But I think his comment was more in terms of depth - they've literally got one scholarship guy taking snaps right now. OSU has crap behind Fields in terms of QBs who played last year, but they do have a couple guys. And I'm not sure if their freshman QBs early enrolled, but they brought in two in the 2019 class. They'll have 4-5 scholarship players practicing this fall, where at RB that's not at all certain.
In terms of McCall, you're correct on size, but most of their boards/mods/staff mention that he's not an every down back. Maybe his listed size and weight are off, but it's mentioned in nearly every breath with him moving back to RB he's not an every down solution.
Usually when people say that it speaks more to his playing style and skill set rather than his size. He probably prefers to play on the outside vs run between the tackles and is probably more quick/fast than strong. But, it's not likely his size that prevents him from being an every down back. Being in the 200 lbs range never seemed to bother guys like Barry Sanders, Brian Westbrook, Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles, Chris Johnson, Reggie Bush, CJ Spiller, etc. It's skill and/or durability and not size that's the problem.
In terms of impact, I'd agree you're correct its Fields. But I think his comment was more in terms of depth
I think you're right, that why I corrected him :)
"Steele Chambers" sounds like a name of some fictitious running back for Milford High who came out of nowhere to become a star under the great Gil Thorp's tutelage, only to crash and burn when Marty Moon exerted his evil influence.
Sounds like a porn name. Or so I've been told.
Was it his tether that was bothering him?
They have Ricky Slade from Penn State on the phone as we speak.
Edit: Top 2020 unsigned RB Zach Evans just called. Slade's been placed on a brief hold to check his family tree for Ohio residents.
"it doesn't seem like the top RBs available in the portal will have immediate eligibility." It's OSU and the NCAA. If OSU needs someone to have immediate eligibility, he will.
With the talent at QB and a dominating OLine, I’m sure they can plug in whatever scrub and still rush for 200 yards against Michigan
Ricky Slade will portal in and have immediate eligibility because of the hostile racial environment that James Franklin fosters at PSU.
No it'll be because of how liberally James Franklin says 'Fetch'.
Stop trying to make Fetch happen, James.
The name Master Teague sounds like he's big into World of Warcraft.
I really give a fuck about an Ohio State RB who is gonna miss spring practice. Seriously! Please, tell me more about the health status of Ohio State's football program
Forgot the word "don't"...
Or ... you could just not click on it. The thread title was not particularly ambiguous.
Shhh..don't tell him. Let's see if he can figure it out...just give him some time, I'm sure he can do it.
What do they need a running back for? Fields has like a 6,000% completion percentage, and none of Michigan's DB's can cover any of their receivers.
Great. Now Donovan Edwards will see early playing time.
I'm sure he picked up 4 extra yards after contact with his achilles. Gonna be a big loss for them when the replacement can only average 3.
Ruth Ginsburg's son is a walk-on. I'm sure Master Bader can carry the spring load.
Why would her son have her maiden name?
She had the Supreme Court vote for it.
He was born when she was single and she never got the last name of the father?
That’s ok, another unknown RB will emerge as a Heisman candidate. That’s just how things go down there
They'll be fine. The only player on their roster right now that's not replaceable for 2020 is Fields.
Fields will run for 100+.
Wasn't Master Teague rocking an ankle monitor during the playoff game?
Not so. It just looks a lot like a monitor and since it's t(tm)OSU everyone just assumed he was being monitored.
Allegedly nothing to see here...
Any word on his cousin Master Bader?
I have to admit, Master Teague is an awesome name
It's also interesting to note, that per the 247 composite, the recruited RBs who remain on the roster in the last several classes for each school:
Michigan
Blake Corum, #12 RB 2020 class
Zach Charbonnet, #4 RB 2019 class
Christian Turner, #22 RB 2018 class
Hassan Haskins #49 RB 2018 class
Ohio State
Miyan Williams, #45 RB 2020 class
Steele Chambers, #11 Athlete 2019 class
Marcus Crowley, #26 RB 2019 class
Master Teague, #11 RB 2018 class (had the #3 RB that year, but kicked him off team)
Charbonnet and Teague were both 3rd team All-B1G last year, so that's a push (though I'd continue to argue Teague's carries came in blowouts and Charbonnet's were in competitive games). Based on how Haskins has performed and the rankings of Corum and Turner relative to their OSU counterparts, you'd have to say Michigan has recruited the position better the last three years. This is clouded by the fact that Dobbins was so dominant last year, i.e. another back on their roster may have emerged in a Teague/playerX platoon similar to Charbonnet/Haskins if he hadn't been.
Hold on there fella.
Everyone on the MGoBlogs said that Jay Harbaugh is only around due to nepotism and is terrible at his job.
These facts seem inconsistent with the narrative.
Let's be clear; this stuff would not have happened under Urban Meyer's watch.
I'm personally afraid of this Steele Chambers dude. Sounds like he'll really be popping off.
Update: Kevin Wilson says he expects him back this season, but says he could miss up to 6 months. Article quotes sources as saying it's an Achilles tear. That would be difficult for a RB to recover from, at least insofar as regaining all cut/speed/power ability from pre-injury.
These articles are older, but they don't paint a great picture for a RB - and specifically a RB, because other position groups have successfully done so - recovering from an Achilles tear.
https://www.numberfire.com/nfl/news/9808/do-major-injuries-have-lasting-effects-on-running-backs
Since these articles, the other RB I can see through google search is D'onta Foreman, who also has never been able to make it back from that injury. These are all NFL backs, don't recall and didn't see any articles on college RBs.
Doesn't matter who's running back there. Behind their OL, with Justin Fields always being a threat to take off and run, whoever they stick back there will still run for 225 yards and three scores against Michigan.
Such is life. And the wheels on the bus go round, and round......
I think this hurts OSU's depth - at least for now - but I've been reading that they fully expect Marcus Crowly (knee from last year) back by the beginning of the season and he was the one that was expected to challenge Teague for the starting RB. Don't know that much about Chambers but they seem to like him. Plus, the Portal plays a role in rectifying roster thinness due to injuries. But, in reading their boards, it sounds like they're OK with the current roster even with the injuries and will stay away from the portal
Here's the problem for UM though. I have to believe they're pointing out how thin they are (maybe true, maybe BS) to HS star RBs like Donavan Edwards. Hell, they were probably already using that idea as he was starting to swing to OSU in the last couple of weeks. Those crooked bastards know every angle. Just can't lose that kid - especially to those a-holes.
I understand what you're saying here, but Michigan fans continue to find any pathway to sorrow. Hey, the RB room at Michigan is pretty good, likely set up better than Ohio State for the next couple of years. Isn't that great?
No. It means we lose Edwards.
I mean if depth chart is a thing for Edwards, Ohio State seems to have an advantage. That means Michigan is in a pretty good place for the RB room. That's great news.
And Michigan has a shot with multiple really good RBs in the 2020 class, including Edwards and the #1 RB in the class Treyveon Henderson. Things are pretty good at this position right now, let's be happy with that and worry about Edwards later if he does commit to OSU.
JK Dobbins is one of the best backs I’ve ever seen in the Big Ten. He is fast and powerful, has great vision and cutting ability. He had the whole package.
Even if Master Teague has a great year, he won’t be able to match what Dobbins did. Hate to see a guy like this injured - this is supposed to be his year to improve his draft stock. Best of luck to him, except in The Game.