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Big Ten may cancel season: 2021 NFL Draft prospects most affected

By Cody Williams

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 05: Jayson Oweh #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions lines up against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 5, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 05: Jayson Oweh #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions lines up against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 5, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Big Ten, 2021 NFL Draft
Master Teague, Ohio State, Big Ten football (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /

If the Big Ten does cancel the season, these 2021 NFL Draft prospects will feel it.

The 2020 college football season is seemingly on the brink — well, sort of. Monday, Aug. 10 began with a report from the Detroit Free Press that the Big Ten had voted to cancel their 2020 season. While that has been back-tracked since then, the possibility of the conference calling the season remains in play, as does the postponing the season to spring 2021.

How canceling the Big Ten season or any fall college football games would affect the 2021 NFL Draft is quite intriguing. Some players like Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields or Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, the latter of whom has already opted out of the year, are secure in their draft stock. Others, however, are not so lucky.

While there are many players we don’t know of who could’ve emerged as 2021 NFL Draft prospects not totally on the radar entering the year, we should look at some players on the radar who will be hurt the most if the 2020 Big Ten season is canceled.

Note: All stats are courtesy of Sports Reference unless otherwise noted.

Honorable Mention 2021 NFL Draft prospects who would be hurt without a Big Ten season

Tanner Morgan, QB, Minnesota – Morgan is an imperfect player but also one who has shown a lot of improvement. It would be nice to see his decision-making mature with another year.

Josh Myers, IOL, Ohio State – Everything to this point makes Myers look like the goods. But with some change on his left side, seeing how he fares without two elite guards is intriguing.

Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan – Paye is a physical freak who already has some nice production. It would be nice to see that skyrocket opposite Aidan Hutchinson this season.

Journey Brown, RB, Penn State – With a ton of tools in the chest, Brown is enticing. Putting more vision and forced missed tackles on tape would help his draft stock, though.

5. Master Teague III, RB, Ohio State

Working as a redshirt freshman behind J.K. Dobbins last season, largely seeing the field in only mop-up duty, Master Teague III showed his potential. Ohio State had a lot of garbage time to play in, which is why Teague got 135 carries, which he took for 789 yards and four touchdowns.

With Dobbins now a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Teague had the opportunity to make some waves this season. He’s the clear RB1 in a prolific college offense and has flashed enough talent to intrigue you.

The big question for Teague entering 2020, though, is how dynamic he is out the backfield. With the premium placed on pass-catching running backs in the NFL, Teague has just four career receptions in 17 games. So seeing how he can fare there should greatly affect his draft stock.

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