15. CALVIN AUSTIN III | Memphis 5076 | 170 lbs. | rSR. Memphis, Tenn.
(Harding) 3/24/1999 (age 23.09) #4
BACKGROUND: Calvin Austin III was born and raised in Memphis and started
playing football and running track in elementary school. He attended
Harding Academy,
where he made varsity in track as a freshman and varsity football as a
sophomore. Austin played wide receiver, defensive back and as a returner on
special teams and
helped lead Harding to three consecutive Division II state playoff
appearances. After 482 receiving yards as a sophomore, he had his best
season as a junior with 43
catches for 871 yards and 14 touchdowns, adding two rushing touchdowns to
earn First Team All-State honors. As a senior, Austin averaged 153.0
all-purpose yards
per game and added three interceptions on defense. He finished his prep
career with 49 total touchdowns (24 receiving, 8 rushing, 6 punt returns, 5
kick returns, 4
[57]
interception returns, 2 fumble returns) and 3,492 all-purpose yards. Austin
was even more accomplished in track, winning nine state championships and
setting five
school records. He set personal bests in the 100 meters (10.55), 200 meters
(21.25) and 400 meters (48.35).
A three-star recruit out of high school, Austin was the No. 88 athlete in
the 2017 recruiting class and the No. 32 recruit in the state of Tennessee.
His dream was to be
a hometown hero and play for Memphis (also the university his father
attended), but the football coaches didn’t offer a scholarship. The Memphis
track and field
coaches offered him a scholarship, but Austin’s plan was to run track and
play football wherever he went. With the Bear Bryant rule in effect (if you
play football, you
cannot hold a scholarship in another sport), he joined the Memphis football
team as a preferred walk-on and had to pay his way. After a standout
performance vs.
Houston midway through the 2019 season, Austin was officially put on
scholarship. He was a part of the Memphis track team for two years and
mostly ran relays
(4x100, 4x400). His older sister (Cami) was a gymnast at Division III
Centenary (La.). Austin graduated with his degree in political science
(December 2020). Austin
skipped the 2021 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the 2022 Senior
Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD DROP NOTES
2017: Redshirted
2018: (13/0) 2 24 12.0 0 2 Rush TD; All-AAC in four track events (Indoor
200 meters, 4x400 relay, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay)
2019: (13/0) 17 315 18.5 3 0 Rush TD; All-AAC in one track event (4x100
relay)
2020: (11/11) 63 1,053 16.7 11 9 First Team All-AAC; Led AAC in receiving
yards and receiving TDs; 64-yard PR TD
2021: (12/12) 74 1,149 15.5 8 5 First Team All-AAC; Led team in receiving;
Rush TD; 94-yard PR TD
Total: (49/23) 156 2,541 16.3 22 16
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE 5076 170 30 9 1/4 73 4.32 2.49 1.44 39 11’3” 4.07 6.65 - (no bench
press — choice)
PRO DAY 5076 170 29 1/2 9 73 - - - - - - - 11 (stood on Combine numbers)
STRENGTHS: Track athlete with above-average straight-line speed ... uses
early hesitation to win over the top (five receptions of 50-plus yards in
2021) ... quick,
controlled feet to collect himself at the top of routes ... has a feel for
leveraging routes and finding open coverage zones ... dependable hands, and
adjusts his body to
scoop or dive when needed ... excellent tracking skills to adjust his route
path and go get it ... quick to snatch, put the ball away, and reset his
vision ... short but not
slight, and runs with balance to fend off physical defenders ... averaged
11.1 yards per punt return with a pair of touchdowns (29/323/2) ... was a
member of the
Memphis track team for two years and finished seventh in the 60 meters
(6.84) at the 2020 AAC Track & Field Championships ... tough guy, and
played through a
painful ankle injury most of his senior year ... No. 1 in the AAC in 2021
with 95.8 receiving yards per game.
WEAKNESSES: Undersized and doesn’t have the body type to get much bigger
... lack of length hinders him in tight coverage, leading to a low success
rate in
contested situations ... short arms also show with cornerbacks escaping his
block attempts ... the fight is usually over when press corners get their
hands on him at
the line … benefited from a lot of quick game (hitches, screens, etc.) in
Memphis’ offense and must continue to expand route tree ... flashes shifty
skills after the
catch, but struggled to consistently stack moves ... had three muffed punts
the past two seasons.
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Memphis, Austin was primarily an outside
receiver in former offensive coordinator Kevin Johns’ scheme, but also
lined up in the slot
and the backfield. A former walk-on and member of the Memphis track team,
he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons and ranks top-five in
program
history in career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. My
favorite part of his game is how quickly he goes from pass catcher to
runner — it’s
seamless for him, and that immediate explosion puts added stress on
coverage pursuit. For a player with his measurements and speed, I expected
more missed
tackles after the catch. Overall, Austin’s size will always be an issue,
but his ball skills and athleticism with and without the football give him
a chance to be a WR3
or WR4 in an NFL offense. His punt-return skills will help him stick on an
NFL roster.
GRADE: 3rd-4th Round
