The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine begins today, Feb. 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium with the defensive linemen and linebackers in action first, followed by DBs/TEs on Friday, QBs/WRs/RBs on Saturday followed by the offensive linemen on Sunday. Maryland will have five former stars in action in Indianapolis - WR Tai Felton, SAF Dante Trader, DL Jordan Phillips, DL Tommy Akingbesote and WR Kaden Prather - with Phillips now pushing Felton as the Terp to hear his name called after surfacing as a potential third-round pick. We take a look at a group of Terps who could find themselves suiting up on Sundays next fall, starting with Maryland's most dominant player in 2024.
WR Tai Felton
Arguably the Terps’ top prospect, Felton signed as a three-star recruit in 2021 and got better every season as a Terp. After suffering a torn ACL in his junior year of high school, Felton saw his stock fall for many schools recruiting. However, Maryland never wavered and they were rewarded big. After catching a combined 28 passes for 360 yards in his first two years, Felton gave a taste of what was to come in year three. As a junior, he caught 48 passes for 723 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns, being named to the All-Big Ten Third-Team. Felton saved his best for last, producing the greatest season by a Maryland receiver in 2024. He led the Big Ten in catches (96), and yards (1124), and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (9). He was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection and an AP Third-Team All-American. Where Felton will get selected is still up in the air. Pro Football Focus recently projected the Saints to take him with the 40th overall pick. Felton impressed at the Senior Bowl, catching a 25-yard TD pass in the game. The combine will be big for Tai as he can show off his speed in front of coaches and scouts.
SAF Dante Trader
There’s a conversion about the top defensive Terp in the 2025 Draft with Dante Trader being one of the names mentioned. He came to Maryland as both a football and lacrosse player and managed to participate in both his sophomore. It was also that year when he took the starting free safety spot. In his time as a Terp, Trader started 35 games in the back end and in three seasons as a starter never finished below third on the team in tackles with five career interceptions. He was named the Big Ten defensive player of the week following his performance against Virginia this year, with 11 tackles and a 17-yard interception. Trader joined Felton at the Senior Bowl and while he didn’t play in the game, scouts were impressed by his performances in practice.
Trader was named the eighth-best safety in ESPN's latest position rankings while ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. raved over the former Maryland safety following the Senior Bowl.
“Lacrosse player – high school and at Maryland as well. Only got second in tackles this year, third in tackles the year prior and second in tackles even back to 2022. Interceptions every year,” Kiper said on First Draft. “Two in 2022, two in 2023, one last year, breaking up passes and he's always around the ball and he doesn't miss open field tackles. Dante Trader Jr., pound-for-pound, was one of the best players in the Big Ten. And I think for Maryland, for the Terrapins, he was a guy that he screamed, ‘hey, look at me – why am I not getting more attention?’ And he's going to get it. There's no question he's going to get it in these months leading up to the draft. Based on people going back and watching him a lot closer from what they saw down there, and the fact that he's a multi-sport athlete. Another kid, he just loves the game. He's a competitor, and Dante Trader Jr. will have a nice career in the NFL. He's my ‘Orange Crusher’ because I just love his style of play because he shows up passionately to play this game and aggressively to play this game each and every week.”
SAF Glendon Miller
Maryland has had a knack for finding quality safeties lately, with guys like Darnell Savage, Nick Cross, Antonie Brooks, and Beau Brade making NFL rosters. Trader along with Glendon Miller looks to continue that streak. Coming to Maryland as a three-star recruit, Miller took his time developing before finding a place in the starting lineup as a redshirt junior. In his final two years, he intercepted seven passes, and was tied for the team lead with three in 2024. Coming to Maryland with a reputation as a hard hitter but developed into a complete safety with good size that will keep NFL scouts and coaches interested.
WR Kaden Prather
If it wasn’t for Tai having a season for the ages, Prather might have been the top target for the Terps in 2024. After spending two seasons at West Virginia, he came to Maryland in 2023 and put together back-to-back 600+ yard seasons. He also combined 98 receptions and nine receiving touchdowns in his two seasons as a Terp, while being named an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2023. Prather’s 6’3” frame and catch radius are what is going to draw scouts towards him. No play was more impressive during his time in college than his insane one-handed touchdown catch against Ohio State with a defender all over him in 2023. Keep an eye on what he runs in the 40 as he was one of the fastest offensive players at the East-West Shrine Bowl at one point hitting 20.5 MPH.
DL Jordan Phillips
If there’s one Terp player who could improve his draft stock more than anyone else at the combine it’s Jordan Phillips. Like Prather, he came over as a transfer in 2023 after a redshirt season in Tennessee and started day one. After a 28-tackle, and 1.5 tackles for loss season as a redshirt freshman season, Phillips was being hyped up as a potential game-wrecker in 2024. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for him while the Terp defense struggled all year long and he finished with 29 tackles and a tackle for loss. Phillips declared after the season and was invited to the East-West Shrine game with Prather, Miller, and Tommy Akingbesote. During practices, he impressed people with his NFL-ready size at 6-foot-3, 320-pounds, and strength. Despite not recording a sack during his time in college, Phillips could hear his being called earlier than projected due to the upside he has at the next level. A strong showing at the combine and pro day will go a long way to move his name up draft broads. CBS Sports ranked Phillips as the 94th-best overall prospect, six spots below Tai Felton.
DL Tommy Akingbesote
Akingbesote signed with Maryland in 2021 as a four-star out of Charles Herbert Flowers with a high upside and grew into arguably Maryland’s best defender in 2024. After seeing reserve play in seven games as a freshman, he made two starts out of 12 games in the following year finishing with 14 tackles and two sacks. The following year he posted 28 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and knocked down two passes. Akingbesote saved his best for last as a senior leading all Maryland defensive linemen in tackles with 32, five tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery. He recorded nine tackles against Virginia and followed it up with two tackles for loss, a one-sack performance against Villanova. Following the season, Akingbesote was invited to the East-West shrine game and the NFL combine. His development at Maryland and size, listed at 6-foot-4, 316-pounds is what could lead to a team taking a chance on him in the later rounds of the draft.
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