The best version of Teldrick Ross has yet to be seen.
In preparation for the NFL Draft, Ross continues to see progress in his craft. Aside from the rigorous training — which he has embraced — Ross has taken other steps to become a more attractive draft prospect, including changing up his diet. Putting the right foods into his body is having its benefits.
“My body transformation is crazy and the way I feel now is the best I’ve ever felt,” Ross told HERO Sports in a recent interview. “Even from when I was in college – I feel better now than I did in college simply based on eating different.”
Ross has been prepping strictly for the Draft since Jan. 7, he said, and has put on about seven pounds of muscle since the season. He was playing in the lower 190s and now weighs 200 pounds to go with his 5-foot-11 frame. The work over the past few months showed itself at Middle Tennessee State’s Pro Day in late March, where Ross was able to reinforce what he’s been accomplishing his whole career.
With NFL personnel in attendance, Ross logged a 4.35 40-yard dash time, a 38-inch vertical, and a 4.27 shuttle time.
“I was trying to prove I am the player I am on film and showcase that,” Ross said. “A lot of people had a knock on my speed. Getting that 4.3 (40-yard dash time) was huge. Not only that, but I also did 17 reps on bench press. On Pro Day I was able to showcase what I can do all around, from my streamline speed to my lateral speed to my strength.”
Throughout his career, Ross has proven he should be in the conversation with some of the top defensive backs in the FBS.
In 2021, he recorded 12 pass breakups, an interception, and 48 tackles. In 2022, he finished the season with 20 pass breakups, two picks, and 77 total tackles. Those PBUs ranked second in the FBS and were a single-season MTSU and Conference USA record.
Last year, Ross finished with five PBUs and 50 total tackles. There was a drop in production from a statistical standpoint, but this is primarily because opposing offenses and QBs realized they shouldn’t throw his way:
Ross finished his career with 40 total pass breakups, which are the most in MTSU program history and second most in CUSA history. Despite what he’s accomplished, Ross wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in March. The snub didn’t change his mindset, however.
“I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I’ve always been the type of guy to go get it out of the mud.”
Doing What Needs To Be Done
To start the 2022 season, Ross transitioned from cornerback to playing safety when both starters from the 2021 campaign had moved on. Former MTSU Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer thought the move would be the most beneficial to the team, Ross said.
Ross’ level of play didn’t skip a beat.
In his first game at safety, he had 11 tackles against James Madison. He followed it up with a nine-tackle outing at Colorado State. Just two weeks later, Ross recorded eight tackles in a win over No. 25-ranked Miami in one of the biggest upsets of the 2022 college football season. He excelled in that role before being moved back to corner midway through the year when the Blue Raiders needed him back on the outside.
The game slowed down for Ross once he went back to playing corner.
“I like to hit. I love contact – I embrace it, so (playing safety) was right up my alley,” Ross said. “Going from safety to corner made corner even easier, because when I went back to corner, I’d already be anticipating what was coming and knew how to place route combinations and certain splits because I would know where the safety was or what he was doing. It made me play corner at a higher level.”
Ross can tackle great for a DB. He can stick on a receiver’s hip and jump routes. He has a high football IQ. What he believes is his biggest strength was on display during that stretch, though.
“My biggest strength is being versatile and being able to bounce around to different positions because if a team has too many corners, they can take me at safety,” he said. “If a team has too many safeties, they can take me at corner.
“To me, that speaks volumes because it shows not only the competitor I am, but it shows how smart I am and how versatile I am to be able to play both positions at a high level.”
While Ross’ standout 2022 season featured a record-setting 20 pass breakups, nearly all came in the second half of the season when he was playing corner. In fact, Ross had just one pass breakup in his first six games at safety and 19 over the next seven.
He capped the season with a solid performance in the Hawaii Bowl where he tallied an interception, two pass breakups, and three tackles. He also secured the game-clinching fumble recovery to help the Blue Raiders hold on to a 25-23 win over San Diego State.
Ross has proven he can compete against some of the top offenses and WRs in the country and be an elite DB.
It’s uncertain if he will get drafted, but the Macon, Georgia, product is certainly a guy organizations should consider taking a look at. He would be ideal in a nickel-heavy scheme and will only continue to improve.
No matter what happens, though, Ross is ready to continue to prove he can compete at the next level and play on Sundays.
“When my number gets called, I’m ready,” he said.
