Taveze Calhoun, CB, Mississippi State: Scouting Report

Mississippi State boasts one of the best cornerback duos in the country with Will Redmond and Taveze Calhoun. Redmond is ranked by most as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2016 class with no mention of Taveze Calhoun at all. Calhoun is significantly overlooked by most draft evaluators and with a strong 2016 season, Calhoun can rise on most draft boards like I believe he can. I had Calhoun ranked fourth on my early corner back rankings for the 2016 class.

Pros

+ Calhoun is a play maker when he’s on the field whether it’s on special teams or on the defensive side of the ball. His statistics do not showcase his in-game impact. Calhoun makes bone jarring hits and always finds himself around the ball. He is not afraid of contact at all, he will run through blockers and bust up plays drawn his way. I love the attitude Calhoun plays with on the field, he wants to be the best player and make a difference on the field. He is the type of corner back and on field leader you would want on your team.

+ Calhoun’s special team skills will translate into the next level. He is solid in kick coverage and gives maximum effort every play.

+ Calhoun is one of the better big hit corners in College Football. He just doesn’t try to make the tackle, he runs through opponents and makes them think about going his way again. He is a capable open field tackler, he struggles some but does more good than bad in that department. Again, he is not afraid to stick his nose in the action and wants his presence to be felt. He is a much better tackler than his counterpart Will Redmond.

+ On this play here, Calhoun makes a terrific open field tackle. Takes a perfect pursuit angle to the ball, and finishes off the ball carrier. Even gives him a little extra on the tackle to make his presence felt. Tremendous play that you will not see from cornerbacks often anymore.

+ His coverage skills are a lot better than people give him credit for. He is constantly on the receivers hip and does not give up many big gains. In four games I watched he only gave up one big gain to Sammie Coates on a beautiful throw by Nick Marshall. Against Ole Miss in 2013 he allowed three catches but none over 10 yards. He has a quick break to the ball and is not beat over the top often.

Only gave up two catches against Texas A&M with one resulting in a big gain. His coverage skills are definitely overlooked and underrated along with his ball skills. Calhoun flat-out makes plays.

+ Completely out-muscles the WR on this play and ends his route.

Cons

– Calhoun is not as consistent as his counterpart Redmond. Calhoun shows flashes of absolute brilliance then shows his flaws on the next. Consistency is a big area Calhoun will need to improve on, this is one of the major flaws in his game that has to get better. If he was more consistent he would be on par with his teammate Will Redmond.

– In some games Calhoun struggled on making open field tackles, he breaks away from the fundamentals and tries to kill the ball carrier. Multiple times against Texas A&M he completely whiffed on tackles. Again back the consistency, his tackling is way to inconsistent and he is much better than that.

Final Thoughts

I am curious to see how Calhoun improves this year, he is one of the better cornerbacks in my eyes but can he gain notoriety on the national scale. He and Redmond will form the best corner back duo in college football. The SEC will have to second guess when throwing or running toward Calhoun. I have him ranked much higher than most evaluators do so I am eager to see if he can catch the eye of scouts. He was one of the players I enjoyed watching most on film this off-season. He is an exciting player who can really turn some heads this year.

Next: Draft Prospects Who Must Step Up in Week One

Home/NFL Draft