NFL Draft Profile: Calvin Austin III, Wide Receiver, Memphis Tigers

NFL draft profile scouting report for Memphis wide receiver, Calvin Austin III

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#4
Pos: WR
Ht: 5076
Wt: 170
Hand: 0928
Arm: 3000
Wing: 7300
40: 4.32
Bench: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: 4.07
Vert: 39"
Broad: 11'03"
DOB: 3/24/99
Eligible: 2022
Memphis, TN
Harding Academy

Calvin Austin III
Memphis Tigers

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One-Liners

Undersized gadget receiver that has track-like speed combined with excellent agility.

Pros:

Lightning quick athlete, moves like a jitterbug on the field. Juiced up with long speed and burst off release. At only 5-foot-8, Austin is able to stay low to the ground and move differently than other players. Corners have a hard time mirroring Austin’s ability to cut on a dime and explode out of his breaks. Off release, he has a package of different moves to gain leverage and separation instantly. Within his stem, Austin uses jab steps and head fakes to turn corners the wrong way. Separates extremely well at the top of routes and snaps off when making his cuts. Has some of the best change of direction skills in the class, super elusive after the catch making defenders miss in space. 

Cons:

Only listed at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds making him very undersized for the NFL. Size will limit his ability to hold a consistent role in an offense at the next level. When coming across the middle of the field at times, Austin has slowed down in anticipation of getting hit. Hands are small and had nine drops in 2020. A big body catcher over the middle of the field and won’t be able to extend and haul in passes consistently. When dealing with physical corners, Austin will run into problems getting off the line of scrimmage. Short arms and lack of physicality will not bode well with press man corners. Will need touches to be schemed up at the next level to get the ball in his hands. Hasn’t shown the ability to be a vertical threat consistently, mostly a first level threat at this point. 

Summary:

Quick, elusive receiver that slices through defenses with ease. His ability to separate throughout his routes is special, but is held back with his size and weight. Many teams may not see a role in their offense for Austin, but could step in and make an impact on special teams right away. A dangerous return man and would make a fantastic gunner, NFL teams are always looking for players that can play special teams. May only be a gadget player, but has a unique skill set that could intrigue NFL teams.

Background:

Calvin Austin III attended the Harding Academy of Memphis where he finished with 74 catches for 1,513 yards and 24 receiving TD and rushed for 558 yards and eight more scores in his career. Furthermore, Austin III athletic ability is displayed through his proficiency in track, being a nine-time state champion in sprints/relays, a seven-time TSWA All-State honoree and he set five school records. After high school, 247Sports ranked him as a 3-Star recruit, the 1286th-best recruit nationally, the 88th-ranked athlete recruit in the country and the 32nd recruit in the state of Tennessee.

Austin III walked on to Memphis and in 2017, he redshirted his true freshman year. Austin III continued his excellence in track, helping set school records in the 4x400m relay for indoor and outdoor, plus setting the record for 4x100m relay. In 2018, Austin III appeared in four games and finished with two catches for 24 yards. Austin III was again part of the track team that set a new school record for the 4x100m relay with a time of 39.19 seconds. In 2019, Austin III appeared in 13 games and finished with 17 catches for 315 yards and three touchdowns. In 2020, he started all 11 games and finished with 63 catches for 1,053 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2021, he started 12 games and finished with 74 catches for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns. Austin III was named to the First Team All-ACC, AAC Honor Roll and the Tiger 3.0 Club in 2021, 2019 and 2017, for having a GPA at 3.0 or above.

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Grades

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

6.0 / 6.9

Latest News:

10/18/21 - Memphis senior wide receiver Calvin Austin III has been a scoring machine for the Tigers, registering 19 touchdowns in his past 18 games, including a 69-yard pitch which he raced into the end zone during their win over Navy last week. For Austin III, it was his fourth touchdown of 60-yards or more this season. “I was joking with my teammates all week that I've been needing to get my rushing stats up," Austin said after the game. The elusive dynamo ran track and field earlier in his collegiate career and it shows, as the speedster has demonstrated the ability to go from 60-to-100 real quick. His cutback ability makes him extremely slippery in open space and Memphis has garnered a reputation for producing next-level playmakers. On the season, Austin III now has 857 receiving yards and nine touchdowns through five games. If he continues to produce at this rate, the hometown hero (Memphis native) could expect to take his talents to Sunday afternoons.

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