Less than two years ago, Master Teague was a redshirt freshman, dipping his toes in the water in limited snaps behind J.K. Dobbins.
Now, Teague is a college graduate, the favorite to secure Ohio State’s starting running back position, and the sole veteran in his position room.
Things change quickly in the confines of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
“It’s a little weird being an old guy now, being the veteran,” Teague said on Tuesday. “It kinda went fast, but it was long at the same time. It’s rewarding too. I get to pour into the guys, things that I know and share with them."
Last season, Teague looked limited in a starting role, proving to be effective in short-yardage situations but eventually being overshadowed by the rapid rise of Trey Sermon.
The Tennessee native finished the shortened campaign with 514 rushing yards and a team-high eight touchdowns, but only averaged 4.9 yards per carry and struggled with his burst after working his way back from an Achilles injury suffered in the early days of spring practice 2020.
With five running backs itching for carries behind him, it’s now or never for Teague, who said injury concerns are a thing of the past.
On Tuesday, running backs coach Tony Alford confirmed that the starting job is in Teague’s hands right now, citing the elder statesman’s abundance of experience compared to all other candidates.
“If we started the games tomorrow, he would be,” Alford said, referring to Teague as Ohio State’s starting running back. “He’s the incumbent starter. He’s played the most and had the most reps of anybody in the room.”
Still, spring practices have barely begun. Pads do not come on until Wednesday and first impressions are still being made.
A lot could change between late March and early September.
Teague understands that his role is far from locked into place. The 5-foot-11 running back is willing to take on any position in the depth chart as long as it leads to picking up yards on the ground and winning games.
“Of course I want to be that guy,” Teague said when asked about being the go-to running back. “But like I said, we continue to make each other better, compete, and my role-- whatever’s gonna be best for the team, that’s gonna be my role.”
Above all else, the continued health of the position group as a whole is key. Teague has battled back from his aforementioned Achilles injury, Marcus Crowley tore his ACL in 2019, and Ohio State’s two true freshmen, TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor, have not played organized football since their junior years of high school.
Keeping everyone fresh and ready for the regular season is a major target for Teague, even if that means more balanced reps than the junior would prefer.
“We got a lot of depth, a lot of guys,” Teague said. “That helps us in practice, that helps us stay fresh. So I think that’s good for the overall health of the unit and the team, too.”
As for No. 33 himself, Alford wants to see his veteran running back develop a new level of speed in space, something Teague struggled to find for much of last season.
Once he breaks beyond the line of scrimmage, it’s critical for Teague to find that next gear and turn singles into home runs, Alford said.
“When we get back there, now we have to go to work and we have to be able to do things at that level of the defense-- make guys miss and be able to make big plays,” Alford said.
As the "old hand" of Buckeye running backs, Master Teague’s responsibilities go well beyond securing a starting job for himself, though that spot appears to be his to lose at this moment in time.
