Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders defensive back Teldrick Ross is likely the most productive playmaker you don’t know about in the 2024 NFL Draft. Picture one of those social media bar graphs with the talent and production section full to the top and the hype column tuned down to the bottom, and you have an adequate representation of the level of attention Ross receives.
As he attempts to follow fellow Blue Raiders such as Reed Blankenship and Kevin Byard to the NFL, Ross is no stranger to battling the odds to achieve success. A small-town kid who faced questions his entire life, he’s overcome opinions, obstacles, and adversity throughout a journey with a destination yet to be decided.
Teldrick Ross Boasts Production and Athleticism as an NFL Draft Prospect
Two hundred tackles. 40 passes defensed. Three interceptions. One touchdown. There aren’t many defensive backs in the 2024 NFL Draft that boast that level of production at any level of college football.
In 2022 alone, Ross registered 20 pass breakups, a new MTSU record at a program that has produced playmakers who have gone on to have NFL success aplenty at the position.
4.35-second 40-yard dash. 4.27-second shuttle. 6.96-second three-cone. 38″ vertical jump. Those testing measurements came from the Test Academy Pro Day, but if they’d have been at the 2024 NFL Combine, Ross would have ranked fourth among CBs in the 40-yard dash and three-cone.
The MTSU DB was a hair’s breadth slower than presumptive Round 1 CB Quinyon Mitchell and faster in agility tests than Michigan’s Mike Sainristil, a player many analysts consider to be the best true nickelback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Testing and production levels match the best in the class, and the film showcases one of the most talented DBs in the Group of Five. Still, the attention hasn’t arrived in the build-up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
While the eyes of the NFL world have gravitated toward Toledo to find the next star CFB cornerback, they’ve overlooked a talented playmaker from a program that has provided successful NFL players but finished 4-8 in 2023.
Ross is the walking embodiment of recency bias in evaluation.
“Maybe because I’m out there at Middle Tennessee and how everything transpired,” Ross begins to answer my question of why his journey to the 2024 NFL Draft, his attention in this class, differs from some of the other playmakers at his position from the Group of Five.
“I feel like, if I had 10+ pass breakups, something like that, I feel like they just see the numbers went down, and that’s the only thing that I can think of as to why. The productivity, and when you turn on the film, it’s there. It’s just my job to go out there and play, be the best person that I can be. I just do what I can do, and let the cards fall where they may.”
Ross refers to a statistical drop off in production between 2022 and 2023. Having recorded a career year in his fifth season with the program, the MTSU defensive back entered his final collegiate campaign to high expectations and multiple preseason awards, including College Football Network CUSA Cornerback of the Year.
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“Just” 49 tackles and five pass breakups later, you won’t find Ross’ name in mock drafts, and he was an NFL Combine snub without a major all-star game invite. Perception is that he had a difficult year in 2023, but box score stats can distort reality, especially when evaluating the DB position.
“A lot of people look at the stats and say my production went down, but if you go look, I wasn’t really getting targeted the same way I was in 2022. In 2023, you got me, people know who I am now, and then a corner who was still getting his feet wet, a redshirt-sophomore corner.
“Who you gonna throw it at? You’re gonna throw it at the red-shirt sophomore. So, I feel like if people actually turned on the tape and took the time to not just look at the stats, they’ll understand it.”
Shouldering the Responsibility of Being a Role Model
Take the I-24 E and I-75 S out from the Middle Tennessee campus in Murfreesboro, head south for just over 300 miles and some five hours of driving from state to state, and you’ll find Jones County High School in Gray, Georgia. Gray itself is a small town of less than 3,500 people, and the high school boasts just one notable alumni — MLB player Terrance Gore.
It’s the sort of place that shapes and defines you. Small towns lead to small-town mentalities, an acceptance of status, a lack of opportunity — and sometimes a lack of desire — to become something more than anyone thinks you can be.
It’s where Ross grew up, a member of a loving family led by George and Shelborn Ross that has been pivotal to the MTSU defensive back’s on-field and off-field development. Equally as important, was the town itself. A lack of opportunity can present obstacles, but it can also sharpen desire and determination.
“It taught me how to stay focused,” Ross explains of his childhood environment. “Coming from a small town, you don’t have much. You don’t have anything to get into necessarily. I feel like it was a good thing for me because it helped me stay focused.”
While George and Shelborn disagreed over whether a young Ross should play football — “My dad wanted me to play, but my mom knew it was a very vicious sport,” — once he was on the football field, there was no stopping the speedy youngster from taking the game and running with it, literally.
“Being able to have a ball in your hands, and have people chase you at a young age,” Ross illuminates, recalling his early entry into the game of football while revealing his early athletic prowess. “I was always faster than everybody else, so I would be able to run it all the way down the field, and nobody would catch me. That was so much fun.”
With natural athleticism and a boyhood enthusiasm for offense fueled by players like Ray Rice and De’Anthony Thomas, Ross gravitated towards the running back and quarterback positions early in his career.
In his senior high school season alone, he threw for 1,095 yards and nine scores, while adding 1,026 yards and 14 touchdowns on 108 carries as a true dual-threat.
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Used on both sides of the ball — not to mention on the baseball diamond — Ross’ time at Jones County developed the versatility that makes him such an intriguing prospect in the 2024 draft cycle. However, he received more than just a football education there, with the arrival of Coach Justin Rogers reinvigorating the football program and also instilling life skills in young men.
“Coach Rogers, he believed in me,” Ross reflects. “The atmosphere, the passion, the drive that he had as a coach. I feel like it instilled that blue-collarness into you to put in the work, but also developed a passion and love for it.”
That passion and love for the elements outside of football have followed Ross throughout his football journey. Developing into a leader on the field as a DB at Middle Tennessee, fueled by experience as the face of his high school, he’s also become a leader away from the field, culminating in a place on the Wuerffel Trophy watchlist for his community work ahead of his final season in Murfreesboro.
When you come from a small town, providing a role model to future generations and demonstrating that there is a path to success is critical. Ross bears this responsibility on his shoulders, perhaps best evidenced by a single photograph from 2017.
This is why you should play the game! To influence those who will come after you! @jcgreyhounds @_skate____ @houndscoach103 @GreyhoundFball What a touching moment after Teldrick Ross scores in the 1st quarter Vs Griffin. pic.twitter.com/umxC9iqYrB
— Marvin L James II (@sportsguymarv) November 11, 2017
“That’s huge for me,” Ross opens up on his responsibility as a role model. “It really touched me. You never know the influence that you have on kids. These kids look at us like we’re NFL-type players when you’re only in high school. What you do, and what you say, and how you act around them, that rubs off on them.
“So, you always wanna make sure you leave a good impression and make sure you’re instilling the right thing in those kids. Also, I’m big on, I want to see as many people win as possible. So, if I can tell a kid something that I didn’t know at eight or 10 years old, that can help them be further along, then I’m going to do it because that’s the only way you’re going to see this world grow.”
Overcoming Obstacles and Adversity
Despite his high school production, Ross only received a handful of scholarship offers out of Jones County. A pure athlete with some questions over his ultimate football projection, he was also a talented baseball player who could have pursued a career on the diamond rather than the gridiron.
Amongst some FCS offers, including from the nearby Mercer Bears, Middle Tennessee offered Ross the opportunity to play both sports early on. However, with head coach Rick Stockstill emphasizing that baseball activities couldn’t impact football availability, a narrowing of focus to the football field quickly followed.
By 2021, Ross was a starter in the MTSU secondary. But it didn’t come without obstacles.
From his arrival in Murfreesboro in 2018 to that breakout season in 2021, Ross battled injury and a lack of playing time that could have caused some players to lose focus, doubt their ability, or succumb to outside opinion.
“It gave me a chance to really get into the playbook,” Ross reflects on his early struggles with adversity. “When I came back, I was one of the smarter guys on the field who hadn’t actually played a lot of snaps. I think that contributed to me having success at multiple positions. I’ve played cornerback and safety, in one season and even flip-flopped positions in one game.
“I don’t really know anyone else in the draft who’s played meaningful snaps like that at cornerback and safety.”
While establishing himself on the field in the wake of injury, Ross also dealt with personal adversity. Forced to grieve for the departure of his girlfriend in private after contracting COVID-19 meant he was unable to attend her celebration of life, his car — and a necklace containing her ashes — was stolen a year later, depriving Ross of her last remaining possession.
“I could have given up,” Ross says openly and honestly when discussing the adversity he’s faced in his journey to the 2024 NFL Draft and through life. Yet, Ross didn’t give up, and the influences of family and faith provided relief that translated to the greatest season of his college football career.
“2022 was one of the greatest seasons that I had. You know, looking at all the adversity off the field that I was facing and having to deal with, I feel like without God by my side through all of that, there’s no way that I could have overcame it.”
Second-team All-CUSA. Second nationally in passes defensed — including a career-high two interceptions. A school record for pass breakups. Elevation to the national stage.
Amidst adversity, Ross rose to prominence, overcoming the obstacles and adversity that could have defined his college football career.
“It means a lot for me,” Ross explains his feelings on his place in the MTSU record books. “I had to overcome a lot. I had some injuries at the beginning. I had people saying I wasn’t going to play. I had some doubters saying I was an injury-prone guy.
“It just shows that you can overcome anything as long as you put your mind to it and put God first. That’s what I did, and it allowed me to overcome all those obstacles.”
A record-setting defensive back. One of the most productive playmakers in MTSU history. A leader on and off the field. A man who overcame life’s greatest adversities.
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As he heads to the 2024 NFL Draft, how does Ross want to be remembered within the Blue Raider community?
“I want to be remembered as a guy who was kind, always helping. A lot of times, they remember you were a good player, but they won’t remember exactly (how many) tackles I had in a season, how many pass breakups I had in a season.
“But, I hope they remember how he treated them, how I carried myself. I try to always be a man of character, no matter who I’m around.”
Translatable Traits and the 2024 NFL Draft
Days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, the next step on Ross’ journey is yet to be decided. He’s spoken with multiple teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Arizona Cardinals, with at least one team expressing the sentiment that he should get at least a shot in the NFL.
Despite a lack of opportunity to showcase his ability to teams during the marquee events of this process, Ross isn’t downbeat, nor does he feel disrespected by his standing in the class. Moreover, there’s a fire inside of him to overcome the latest obstacle in his path to success.
“I wouldn’t say disrespected; I’d say more that it fuels the fire I’ve always had burning in me. I knew it was going to be tough. I knew that coming into it. I’ve already had that chip on my shoulder, and it makes me want to prove everybody wrong.”
Any questions about Ross’ translatable skill set for the NFL have been answered at every turn. His 4.35-second 40-yard dash time is evidenced on tape, effortlessly going toe-to-toe with some of the quicker WRs in college football — including Jermaine Burton, who the MTSU DB calls the toughest receiver he’s faced.
Ross’ football intelligence was forged in the playbook at Middle Tennessee. When his time on the field was limited, he took a bookworm-like approach to studying. If you want an example, just take his ability to recollect the minute details of his only collegiate pick-six.
“We were in a fire zone,” Ross begins to break down a play that happened nearly three years ago. “They were in 2×2, running a little clout route, a little clear out with one, and an out with two. I knew they were just trying to get the first down. I made sure I had my responsibility over the top just in case he did want to throw it, but I knew he was going to throw that out.”
“So, I played in between both of them. He overthrew the out, and it went right into my face. After the game, I told them in the interview that I had to make the score cause I couldn’t get caught by no quarterback.”
Ross’ intelligence and speed have made him a versatile weapon in the secondary during his time at Middle Tennessee. He’s played safety and cornerback — both to a high level — showcasing productivity and ability across the defensive back positions. While understanding that versatility is his calling card for the NFL, he has a clear idea of where he projects at the next level.
“I think my best position will be a nickelback. The reason I say a nickelback is because I can cover like a corner. I know how to cover the shifty slot receivers and stay with them. But I also have the safety mentality, and I can run fit like a safety. You can send me off the edge on blitzes. You can drop me into coverage.”
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A do-it-all, jack-of-all, who has also mastered many elements while at Middle Tennessee, Ross has overcome many obstacles on his journey to the NFL. Waiting to hear the phone ring this weekend is just another one of those moments that will test Ross’ faith but won’t break his belief that he has the talent to continue the underrated tradition of Blue Raider defensive backs.
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