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Writer's pictureAhmed Ghafir

Maryland football set to honor senior class ahead of Iowa kickoff

Maryland football welcomes Iowa for a noon kickoff on Saturday, but prior to the game’s start, head coach Mike Locksley will honor his 22 seniors for the final game inside SECU Stadium for many. Details:

 

DL Tommy Akingbesote

 

Akingbesote, a former four-star prospect out of CH Flowers (MD), committed to Maryland over Oklahoma and a bevy of blue blood interest as the Terps’ staff made him a focal priority of the 2021 class to restock the defensive line. Akingbesote made his way to Maryland and became an immediate impact, playing in seven games as a true freshman and starting in nine over 2022 and 2023. He’s one of five players to start in all ten games in 2024 while he leads all Maryland defensive linemen with 30 tackles. Akingbesote enters Saturday with 75 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs and four sacks.

 

LB Donnell Brown

 

The former transfer addition from St. Francis (PA) heading into the 2023 season, Brown drew NFL potential heading into his second season with the program. He’s started four games in 2024 while his lone start at the SAM in 2024 came in the road loss vs. Minnesota while he’s registered 41 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, three sacks and two interceptions over his two seasons.

 

OL Marcus Dumervil

 

The former LSU transfer arrived in January of 2023 where he became a rotational piece along the offensive line over his two seasons. Dumervil has appeared in 12 games heading into Saturday and made his first career start vs. Villanova before going down with an injury.

 

QB Billy Edwards Jr.

 

After departing Wake Forest following one season with the program, Edwards arrived at Maryland ahead of the 2022 season where he stepped in as Taulia Tagovailoa’s backup.

After filling the shoes left vacant by Tagovailoa heading into week one of the 2024 season, Billy Edwards became the first Big Ten player since 1996 with at least 50 pass attempts while completing 78% of his passes in the win vs. USC. His 268 completions rank fifth-most in program history, six more than Taulia Tagovailoa’s junior season, while his 2,855 passing yards rank as the sixth-most in program history in a season.

 

WR Tai Felton

 

A former three-star signee out of Stone Bridge (VA), Felton has come on as a playmaker for Maryland in the 2023 and 2024 season, but it’s been his senior season where he’s entrenched himself in the record book. Felton is one of five Big Ten players since 2000 with at least 1,000 receiving yards through ten games, also becoming the fourth player in program history to eclipse that mark in one season, while he set the single-season reception record (86) vs. Rutgers. Felton enters Senior Day 201 yards away from taking sole possession of the single-season receiving yard record. Felton was named one of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award this week.

 

DB Chantz Harley

 

Harley, a Villanova transfer and son of Maryland’s Director of Character & Leadership Development Charlie Harley, has helped round out the cornerbacks depth through the years. After playing in 15 combined games through his first two seasons, Harley has appeared in eight through 2024 and record a career-high three tackles in the week three road win vs. Virginia.

 

RB Roman Hemby

 

While he has another year of eligibility available, Hemby, a former three-star out of John Carroll (MD), enters Senior Day with the most career starts among offensive players (36) and second on the team behind Ruben Hyppolite (44). Hemby sits eighth all-time in program history with 22 rushing touchdowns, 12th on career rushing yards list and is tied for fourth in total TDs (27). The two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection enters Saturday with seven 100-yard rushing games through his four seasons.

 

K Jack Howes

 

A redshirt junior from Edgewater (FL), Howes enter Saturday 24-of-35 all-time with a 49-yard field goal marking a career high during the Music City Bowl win. His 48-yard field goal vs. Rutgers marked a season-long.

 

DL Taizse Johnson

 

Johnson became a key early recruiting win for head coach Mike Locksley as a former four-star in the 2021 class, committing to Maryland over Clemson and Ohio State among others to help the Terps’ local recruiting efforts. After appearing in 19 games over his first two seasons, Johnson started in two games in 2023 and remained an integral piece in the defensive line rotation. Johnson enters Saturday with 38 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, five sacks and one forced fumble through his four years.

 

OL Kevin Kalonji

 

A graduate of Archbishop Carroll and former Coffeyville CC prospect, Kalonji has spent two seasons at Maryland where he’s bounced between tackle and guard to round out the depth. He’s appeared in two games, including the Villanova game in 2024.

 

OL Josh Kaltenberger

 

The Purdue transfer arrived in College Park in January and became an instant upgrade at center, filling the shoes left vacant by Aric Harris and Mike Purcell in 2023. Kaltenberger has started in all ten games in 2024.

 

OL Kyle Long

 

After appearing in one game during his first two seasons out of Hazelwood Central, Long has appeared in 19 games over the last two seasons while drawing six starts in 2023.

 

RB Colby McDonald

 

McDonald was one of three initial signings out of St. John’s (DC) in the 2021 cycle. In a room that featured three freshmen, it was McDonald who broke out to provide stability for the rushing attack during the 2021 season. After finishing second on the team in rushing, behind Tayon Fleet-Davis, with 325 yards and two touchdowns, McDonald was one of three true freshmen who scored a touchdown in the Pinstripe Bowl win vs. Virginia Tech. McDonald was ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 season heading into the Minnesota game, ending his time at Maryland with 999 career all-purpose yards including 921 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

 

DB Glendon Miller

 

The Florida native has become a success story within the program after developing into a team leader and one of the best players on defense as a senior. After playing in two games during his COVID-shortened freshman season, Miller played in all but one game in 2021 before starting his first game vs. Charlotte with Beau Brade sidelined in 2022. Miller would start every game available through his junior and senior season, while tied for team-high four interceptions as a junior. Miller’s four-game interception streak marked the program’s longest streak since Lewis Sanders in 1999.

 

WR Kaden Prather

 

A former four-star out of Northwest (MD), Prather arrived at Maryland ahead of the 2023 season to become an instant impact piece in the wide receiver room. He’s amassed 94 catches for 1,245 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. His nine catches for 111 yards vs. USC marked a career-high one season after Prather led the team by averaging 15.9 yards per catch.

 

DB Dante Trader Jr.

 

A former three-star signee and two-sport pledge out of McDonogh (MD), Trader became a force along the Terps’ backline over the last three seasons. Trader currently sits second on the team in tackles despite missing a pair of games due to injury, while he registered a career-high 11 tackles vs. Virginia. Trader, who also registered a pair of interceptions in the 2023 road win vs. Nebraska, was also named a Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist while being named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl watchlist. He enters Saturday amassing 175 total tackles, two TFLs, 20 pass deflections, five interceptions and one forced fumble.

 

LB Caleb Wheatland

 

A former three-star out of Virginia, Wheatland has become a force for the Terps’ inside linebacker unit where he’s started all ten games as the MIKE in 2024. Wheatland is tied for the team-high three sacks, sits second with six TFLs and is third on the team in tackles with 37. He registered a career-high seven tackles vs. USC, including the game-sealing tackle on the game’s final play from scrimmage. Wheatland, who is likely to return for his fourth season, enters Saturday amassing 34 total tackles, two TFLs and one pass deflection.

 

Walk-Ons

 

RB Ryne Acheson

 

Walk-on redshirt sophomore running back out of Churchill (MD), Acheson has not appeared in game action.

 

TE Maxwell Brown

 

Walk-on redshirt junior tight end out of Sherwood (MD), Brown has not appeared in game action.

 

LS Ethan Gough

 

The DeMatha product started a pair of games in 2021 before becoming the team’s primary long-snapper since, starting in all 36 games while he registered a tackle against both Indiana and Minnesota.

 

WR Robert Smith

 

The walk-on WR and son of former Texans GM Rick Smith, Robert has played in eight games in 2024 and has registered three catches for 13 yards over his three season with the program.

 

DL Tre Smith

 

A former three-star out of Mountain Ridge (MD) in the 2020 class, Smith was medically disqualified from suiting up in college after suffering a significant back injury heading into his freshman season. He's since served as a student assistant working with the defensive line alongside Brian Williams.


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