Browns draft prospect: UCLA running back Carson Steele

Another Cleveland Browns draft profile leads us to Carson Steele, a 6’1, 225-pound running back, who helped lead UCLA to an LA Bowl appearance in 2023. Steele was a two-star recruit out of Greenwood, Indiana, the 45th-ranked prospect in Indiana and the 288th-ranked running back in the Nation, and committed to Ball State in 2021. 

Once at Ball State, he appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, rushing for 891 yards and six touchdowns on 192 attempts and catching 12 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals finished the 2021 regular season 6-6 and were elected to face off against the Georgia State Panthers in the Camellia Bowl. Steele rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries and caught three passes for 40 yards in Ball State’s 51-20 loss to the Panthers. Steele’s performance in 2021 earned him the John Hodge Award.

In 2022, Steele appeared in all 12 games, rushing for 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns on 289 attempts and catching 29 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals finished the 2022 regular season 5-7 and were eliminated from Bowl eligibility.

He was named first-team All-MAC for his efforts on the field in 2022. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 season, Steele took to social media to announce he would be entering the transfer portal. Just over 30 days after entering the transfer portal, Steele announced he had committed to UCLA. 

In 2023, Steele appeared in 12 games for the Bruins, rushing for 847 yards and six touchdowns on 167 carries and caught 17 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. UCLA finished the 2023 regular season 7-5 and was elected to face off against the Boise State Broncos in the LA Bowl. In late December, Steele announced on social media that he would skip the LA Bowl and forego his senior season to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Steele’s noted strengths according to ProFootballNetwork.com: 

• Large frame that allows him to power through tacklers with a great stiff arm.
• He can be a workhorse back who gets stronger as the game progresses.
• Excellent contact balance allows him to continue trudging upfield, taking hits directly to his body. He’s tough to bring down by one tackler.
• Contributed as a pass catcher and pass blocker, with the upside to be a three-down back.
• Steele is creative in his evasion of tackles, including hurdling defenders and using dekes and jukes without breaking his stride too much.
• Uses his lead blockers effectively to buy time for rushing lanes to develop and shield his body.
• Has enough speed and quickness to find chunk plays even though he’s not an elite athlete.
• Very good fit in zone running schemes as he hits the intended rushing lane without hesitation.

Steele’s Noted Weaknesses:

• Has a unique play style that was effective at Ball State, but we haven’t seen it in a Power Five conference in a few years. He’ll have to prove his power and athleticism are enough to work against better athletes.
• He already has a substantial workload on his body and doesn’t evade hits but rather absorbs them.
• Struggles to make defenders miss and doesn’t have natural leverage due to his taller frame.
• His overall quickness, agility, and speed are average at best, so his upside is fair to question.

Carson Steele compared to other 2024 prospects: 

Carson Steele  - UCLA Bruins/Ball State Cardinals - 6’1 - 225 lbs

Ball State - 2021 - 2022

• 25 Games
• 481 Rushing Attempts
• 2,447 Rushing Yards (97.9 Yards Per Game)
• 20 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 41 Receptions 
• 323 Receiving Yards (7.9 Yards Per Reception)
• 2 Receiving Touchdowns

UCLA Bruins - 2023 

• 12 Games
• 167 Rushing Attempts 
• 847 Rushing Yards (70.6 Yards Per Game)
• 6 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 17 Receptions 
• 163 Receiving Yards (9.6 Yards Per Reception)
• 2 Receiving 

Trey Benson - Florida State Seminoles/Oregon Ducks - 6’1 - 227 lbs 

Oregon Ducks - 2020-2021

• 10 Games
• 6 Rushing Attempts
• 22 Rushing Yards (3.7 Yards Per Rush) 
• 1 Rushing Touchdown

Florida State Seminoles - 2022-2023

• 26 Games 
• 310 Rushing Attempts 
• 1,895 Rushing Yards (72.9 Yards Per Game)
• 23 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 33 Receptions 
• 371 Receiving Yards (11.2 Yards Per Reception)
• 1 Receiving Touchdown 

Jonathan Brooks - Texas Longhorns - 6’0 - 207 lbs

• 22 Games 
• 238 Rushing Attempts 
• 1,479 Rushing Yards (67.2 Yards Per Game)
• 16 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 28 Receptions 
• 335 Receiving Yards (12 Yards Per Reception) 
• 2 Receiving Touchdowns 

Jaylen Wright - Tennessee Volunteers - 5’11 - 210 lbs

• 34 Games 
• 368 Rushing Attempts 
• 2,297 Rushing Yards (67.6 Yards Per Game)
• 18 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 30 Receptions 
• 171 Receiving Yards (5.7 Yards Per Reception) 

Blake Corum - Michigan Wolverines - 5’8 - 213 lbs 

• 45 Games 
• 674 Rushing Attempts 
• 3,737 Rushing Yards (83 Yards Per Game)
• 58 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 56 Receptions 
• 411 Receiving Yards (9.1 Per Reception)
• 3 Receiving Touchdowns  

Bucky Irving - Oregon Ducks/Minnesota Golden Gophers - 5’10 - 195 lbs

Minnesota Golden Gophers - 2021

• 12 Games 
• 133 Rushing Attempts 
• 699 Rushing Yards (58.3 Yards Per Game)
• 4 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 8 Receptions 
• 73 Receiving Yards (9.1 Yards Per Reception) 
• 4 Receiving Touchdowns    

Oregon Ducks - 2022-2023

• 27 Games 
• 342 Rushing Attempts 
• 2,238 Rushing Yards (82.9 Yards Per Game)
• 16 Rushing Touchdowns 

• 87 Receptions 
• 712 Receiving Yards (8.2 Yards Per Reception)
• 5 Receiving Touchdowns 

While Steele’s elusiveness, agility, and speed are areas of concern, his size, power, strength, and pass-catching ability make Steele a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns offense.  

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