Maryland Terrapins Football

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 188

HAND: 9 1/8"

ARM: 31 ⅞"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.30

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 40.5

BROAD: 11'1"

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POSITIVES

— Explosive athlete with great top-end speed to carry receivers vertically. Also shows good closing speed on crossing routes and out of breaks.

— Does a good job of sinking his hips. Smooth transition when asked to stop and go.

— Triggers quickly and shows very good physicality when playing screens, the short game and the run.

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NEGATIVES

— Comes into tackles too high and out of control at times. Also takes below-average angles, leading to arm tackles and missed tackles.

— Can be too handsy and overly physical in coverage, pulling him out of ideal positions.

— Below-average ball skills and hands. Struggles to play above the rim, loses the man and ball.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 39 TOT, 2 INT, 11 PBU

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NOTES

— 2022 Dukes Mayo Bowl MVP

— 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl

— 2022 and 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

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OVERALL

Jakorian Bennett is the other half of the impressive Maryland cornerback duo. He's a physical defender who has the speed and versatility to play in any scheme.

As a cover defender, Bennett has the ability to play from both press and off coverage. When in press man, he often chooses to match the release off the line instead of mirroring to stay in front. As the receiver works down the field, Bennett likes to get his hands on and ride along for control. That led to many pass interference calls, which he'll need to clean up in the NFL.

Bennett plays with loose hips and has shown the ability to quickly sink his hips. He also has quick acceleration to get back to top speed on double-moves. As he continues to work downfield with the receiver, he gets into their pocket and pushes them toward the sideline.

When playing the ball, Bennett gets his head around and plays with great timing when breaking up passes. However, he struggles with high-pointing the ball and playing both the man and ball at the same time. Though he has some decent anticipation for routes, he has below-average hands to capitalize on possible interceptions. He had chances to add onto his interception total for this season, but he dropped those opportunities.

When playing the run, Bennett sees what is in front of him and reacts accordingly. When on a nub side, he quickly inserts himself into the run game, though he occasionally gives up his leverage on the edge. He does a very good job of taking on blockers to set the edge.

As a tackler, Bennett does his best work when playing in limited space, where he can run through ball-carriers. When coming from a distance, he struggles with taking proper angles and coming to balance. He often runs up to the ball-carrier with high pad level and out of control, leading to some missed tackles.

Ultimately, Bennett has lot of skills and traits that could make him successful in the NFL. He needs to continue working on his ball skills downfield and his tackling. He's a potential role player who might find himself in a starting role a few years into his career.

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GRADE: 6.4 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 152

POSITION RANK: CB21

PRO COMPARISON: Jamel Dean

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 197

HAND: 9 ⅜"

ARM: 31 ⅜"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.35

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 42"

BROAD: 11'4"

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POSITIVES

— Has the speed to run and match receivers downfield. Has loose hips and very good body control to sink his hips to get in and out of breaks.

— Great at squeezing receivers to the sideline and getting his head around to find the ball. Doesn't panic downfield with the ball in the air.

— Versatile enough to play in multiple schemes, as well as to align in off and press coverage.

— Very good in run and screen game. Shows anticipation and quick reaction. Physical player when taking on blocks and is quick to disengage.

— Willing tackler who comes up quickly to fill gaps in the run game and delivers a good blow.

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NEGATIVES

— Can play high in backpedal and when breaking at times, causing him to be slow when transitioning.

— Occasionally guesses in press coverage, causing him to get caught leaning at times.

— Can struggle closing the gap on in-breaking routes and can get stacked downfield, allowing receivers to box him out on catches.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 38 TOT, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT, 8 PD

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NOTES

— 2022 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

— 2021 season-ending shoulder injury

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OVERALL

Deonte Banks is a twitchy cornerback who plays with good technique and has high football IQ. He has a good size and frame to play in the NFL.

Banks has been getting significant playing time from his freshman year in 2019, although he had a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021. Some of the knock on him has been his lack of production throughout his career.

Banks has great traits to be a man corner. He has the ability to play from both press and off coverage and has the physicality and temperament to reroute receivers at the line of scrimmage. When covering intermediate to shorter routes, he has loose hips and quick feet when breaking. He shows great anticipation, especially when screens are thrown his way.

When covering receivers downfield, he does a great job of matching speed and quickly getting in phase to run receivers off their line. He gets his head around to locate the ball and stays calm while attacking the ball in the air. However, he does sometimes struggle to make plays through the receiver. He often gets stacked downfield or is slow to close the gap when in off coverage.

As a run defender, Banks shows his physicality when taking on blocks. He quickly comes up to support the run, using his hands to control blockers and quickly discarding them to play the ball-carrier. He makes good reads and knows how to shoot gaps while filling running lanes. A willing tackler, he does a good job of getting ball-carriers on the ground while occasionally delivering big blows.

Ultimately, Banks is one of the better cornerbacks in this year's draft. After performing well at the combine, he has elevated himself to being in the argument for a Day 1 pick. Depending on which team picks him, he will have a chance to compete for early playing time as an outside cornerback.

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GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player)

OVERALL RANK: 36

POSITION RANK: CB5

PRO COMPARISON: Byron Murphy

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 212

HAND: 9 3/4"

ARM: 34 1/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.57

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: 4.39

VERTICAL: 35 1/2"

BROAD: 10'3"

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POSITIVES

— Great size and play strength. Can hold like a real "X" receiver.

— Good at fighting through contact as a route-runner and creating space with physicality.

— Very good ball location and adjustment skills. Finds and bends to the ball well.

— Very good hands in traffic. Consistently hangs on through traffic and big hits.

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NEGATIVES

— Below-average speed. Can win downfield via contested catches but won't separate much.

— Poor flexibility and change of direction. Struggles to drop his hips and redirect on routes.

— Average at best with the ball in his hands. Not dynamic; strength is nice but not overwhelming.

— 2022 film is much worse than 2021.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 22 REC, 233 YDS (10.6 AVG), 1 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: September 26, 2000

— 3-star recruit in 2018 class, per 247 Sports' composite ratings

— 35 career starts

— Suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2021 that required surgery

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OVERALL

Dontay Demus Jr. is a talented, big-bodied receiver who has lost some of his athleticism since suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2021.

Demus fits the bill of a classic "X" receiver. He has both the frame and the play strength to thrive in physical settings. Whether it's at the line, throughout a route or at the catch point, he does an excellent job of leveraging his length and strength to make room for himself. He's difficult to bully off his spots and more often than not has the strength to finish tough catches.

Demus also has intriguing ball skills. Made better by his long arms, he shows great ball-tracking skills and the ability to effortlessly mold his body to what the situation calls for. He does well catching balls outside of his frame, over his head and even on a tight sideline. Demus' hands are also quite reliable, and he does well to bring these tough passes in, not just get his hands on them.

Unfortunately, Demus did not look like the same athlete in 2022. Thanks to the 2021 knee injury and subsequent surgery, he now lacks the initial burst and flexibility he once had. Demus is on the slower side off the line of scrimmage, for one. Additionally, he now struggles to drop his hips, change directions and burst out of his breaks. He often fails to generate sufficient separation as a result, forcing him to rely on catches in traffic. That lack of juice also translates to Demus' YAC skills, which are nothing of note by NFL standards.

A team would be betting on Demus' size, ball skills and the potential for a rebound from the athletic drop-off he experienced. If he can find some of the athleticism he had back in 2021, he could blossom into a reliable "X" receiver who wins in the 1-15-yard range. That said, his current athletic profile projects at best as a quality depth receiver with the potential to be a low-end starter.

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GRADE: 6.3 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 161

POSITION RANK: WR23

PRO COMPARISON: Nico Collins

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 306

HAND: 9 1/4"

ARM: 33 5/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 5.1

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 31.5"

BROAD: 9'5"

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POSITIVES

— Easy, fluid mover with light feet out of his stance, gliding to set points and landmarks in pass-protection and effectively tracks targets on the move in the run game

— Very good quickness to close space and get into his initial fit on jump sets, kick-out and cut-off blocks

— Flashes light hands, fluid base and overall mirroring skills in pass-protection to adjust to counter moves, keep his base and wall off the corner

— Had a good week of practice in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, showing improvement using his hands in pass-protection

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NEGATIVES

— Unreliable use of hands, posture and balance in pass-protection

— Tends to wind his hands up and around to establish contact on rushers causing him to be persistently late and/or missing his target

— Plays with an open, exposed chest that leaves him vulnerable to getting blown open and losing down the middle or inside against speed to power

— Struggles to re-leverage his hips and hands in the second and third phases (after the initial fit) of run-blocks, leading to below-average sustain, steer and finishing skills

— Provides minimal thump or power when feeding defensive tackles over on double-teams. Looks content with getting into position rather than delivering force on contact

— Had his worst games against the best competition in 2022 (Ex: Michigan and Ohio State)

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 starts at left tackle

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NOTES

— Former 4-star tackle recruit out of St. Frances Academy in Owings, Maryland

- No. 145 overall, No. 11 OT, per 247Sports composite rankings

— 39 career starts at Maryland; 38 at LT and one at center

— Accepted an invite to the 2023 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama

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OVERALL

Jaelyn Duncan is a four-year starter inside Maryland's balanced offense with 39 starts, including 38 at left tackle and 12 at LT during the 2022 season. Duncan has a very good athletic ability and is a fluid, easy mover.

Duncan excels at reaching his landmarks and beating rushers to the spot in pass-protection with flashes of light, independent use of hands and mirroring skills to redirect against counter moves, expand his set points and protect the corner against high-side rushes. While the movement skills at nearly 300 pounds are enticing, Duncan's use of hands is inconsistent, leading to elongated, wide and late strikes that leave his chest open and exposed against speed to power and bull-rushes. This leads to erratic strike location, and timing and too many quick, clean losses inside, down the middle and around the edge.

Duncan is an adequate run-blocker that does a nice job closing space on defenders and getting into initial position, including on the move when climbing or leading in space. After the initial fit, Duncan often will roll onto his toes and let his pads rise during the second (drive) and third (finish) phases of blocks. This leads to subpar sustain and finishing skills with him being exposed to getting shed and falling off of too many blocks. Duncan's physicality and ability to play with power is also sporadic, with too many instances on film of him being soft on contact when attempting to feed defensive tackles on double-teams or dig interior run-defenders out of the hole on overtakes and scoops.

Overall, Duncan has plus movement skills with some flashes of sound technique, but is overall unsound and unreliable with his hands, use of leverage and ability to sustain blocks. Duncan has the high-end athletic ability to offer a long-term upside, but will need to go to the ideal situation under a great line coach to see it come to fruition.

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GRADE: 6.5 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 136

POSITION RANK: OT12

PRO COMPARISON: Jason Spriggs

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

The Maryland Terrapins defeated the NC State Wolfpack 16-12 on Friday afternoon in what was a huge defensive battle in the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa completed 19-of-37 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions in the win. He also rushed for just three yards on nine carries.

Octavian Smith Jr. caught Tagovailoa's lone touchdown pass and finished the day with three catches for 34 yards.

The Maryland defense played a great game, holding NC State to just 296 total yards and no touchdowns. The defense also forced two turnovers as Fa'Najae Gotay and Jakorian Bennett picked off Wolfpack signal-caller Ben Finley.

While Maryland won the game, all CFB Twitter could talk about was head coach Mike Locksley wearing a big hat to shield himself from the ensuing mayo dunk:

THEY DIDN’T HURT HIM! pic.twitter.com/l5fYIOE8G2

— Duke's Mayo Bowl (@DukesMayoBowl) December 30, 2022

Mike Locksley removing the larger-than-normal hat mid-mayo dump is the most heroic act of bowl season.

"Gotta do it," he said.

— David Ubben (@davidubben) December 30, 2022

Sign of a smart coach, packing the big hat. He’s a step ahead of the Mayo posse. pic.twitter.com/lziOCQtJQ7

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) December 30, 2022

A happy Mike Locksley takes off the big hat for a second dose. pic.twitter.com/8JJAy33Dn9

— Ben Dickson (@bendickson__) December 30, 2022

Lol Mike Locksley is using a big hat to shield him from the Mayo pic.twitter.com/rwB2VDORMq

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) December 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1608929323666505728

Big hat energy from Coach Mike Locksley #GoTerps @DukesMayoBowl pic.twitter.com/zIndSjTebn

— Julian Sadur (@JulianSadurTV) December 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1608929497491066880

They added Old Bay! Someone bring some fries to dip into Mike Locksley’s hat! https://t.co/6g3MplJZ5p

— Clay Sauertieg (@ByCSauertieg) December 30, 2022

Mike Locksley's giant hat means it's time to evolve the mayo bath into a mayo dunk tank next year

— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) December 30, 2022

At least for Mike Locksley’s sake, he won’t have to worry about mayonnaise in his hair

— George Gerbo (@Gerbo3) December 30, 2022

Mike Locksley put on a Big Hat before the mayo bath 🤣🧢 pic.twitter.com/MQDutSJSQx

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 30, 2022

The locksley Mayo dump 😂😂😂 GO TERPS 🐢

— Thomas Yates (@tboneyates18) December 30, 2022

Mike Locksley wore protection for his mayo bath. https://t.co/M560xzesp4

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) December 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/jacobbogage/status/1608933371534794752

Locksley is smart for bringing the hat but hats need to be banned from now on. He cheated 😂😂 https://t.co/D5prsc6khl

— Minor League Sports Town (@DCSportsCast) December 30, 2022

Mike Locksley gets the Mayo dumb wearing a big hat. Somewhere, Brian Robinson Jr. and his friend are smiling. pic.twitter.com/2WRt3x5dri

— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) December 30, 2022

While Locksley didn't get the full mayo bath, fans can still celebrate that he led the Terrapins to a second consecutive bowl win following a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl last season.

Maryland improved to 8-5 on the season with the win. It marks Locksley's second straight winning season with the Terrapins. He took over as head coach in 2015 after a stint at New Mexico.

Two former Maryland football players have reached settlements with the school stemming from their lawsuits accusing former head coach DJ Durkin of subjecting them to an abusive, toxic environment. 

Per the Associated Press, Gus Little and E.J. Donahue received $200,000 each in their settlement agreements with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. 

Durkin was fired by Maryland on Oct. 31, 2018, one day after he was reinstated by the program. 

The Terrapins originally placed Durkin on administrative leave in August 2018 following the release of an ESPN report that contained allegations of a "toxic coaching culture" in the wake of the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair earlier in the year. 

Multiple people connected to the program, including two players on the roster at the time, said in the report there was a "coaching environment based on fear and intimidation" under Durkin. 

Per ESPN's Heather Dinich, McNair "showed signs of extreme exhaustion, had difficulty standing upright while running a set of 110-yard sprints and was found to have a body temperature of 106 degrees at a local hospital before he died of heatstroke suffered during a football workout" in May. 

In September 2018, Little and Donahue were among a group of Maryland players and people connected to the program who told Rick Maese and Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post about their experience with the Maryland football program and Durkin. 

"I don't know if I'll be able to get back to the point that I was before I came to Maryland," Donahue said.

Little said, "I lost my love for the game. It wasn't a game anymore."

Per the AP, Little and Donahue filed a lawsuit against the University of Maryland in August 2019 that alleged the program had a "toxic culture of cruelty, humiliation, (and) degradation."

Durkin, former strength and conditioning coach Rick Court and former head trainer Wes Robinson were named as defendants.

Durkin spent two seasons as Maryland head coach from 2016 to 2018. 

Little and Donahue both attended the university from 2015 to 2016. They transferred to James Madison University prior to the 2017 football season.     

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant made a great moment even better as Maryland defensive lineman Greg Rose surprisingly received a scholarship.

Durant joined the team on a video chat and revealed the news to Rose in front of his excited teammates:

KD-MV

PG County legend @KDTrey5 tells @gregrose24 and his family that Rose is now on full scholarship! #TBIA pic.twitter.com/YAl4Zx25nS

— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) August 26, 2021

Rose spent last season as a walk-on after transferring from Lackawanna Community College, appearing in just two games. During the spring, he was one of four players to earn the Scott McBrien Outstanding Non-Scholarship Player Award.

It was apparently enough for the senior to earn himself a scholarship for 2021.

Durant, meanwhile, provided a shoutout to his hometown team after growing up in Prince George's County. Though he played his lone collegiate season at Texas, he still appreciates the local school.

"I grew up 10 minutes from the campus so you always got deep love for the University of Maryland," Durant told the team.

The state of Maryland unanimously approved a $3.5 million settlement from its flagship university to the family of former Terrapins offensive lineman Jordan McNair nearly three years after his death, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.

McNair collapsed from heatstroke during a team conditioning session on May 29, 2018. He died two weeks later at the age of 19.

"This has been a painful fight, a very emotional fight," Marty McNair said. "These three years have been painful, however, I know that it prepared us for a larger- scale, nationwide advocacy to stop this from happening and truly make a difference. The only way we really can do this is not by talking effortless at people, but really to implement legislation and policy.

Investigations by ESPN and Maryland officials revealed a toxic team culture under then-head coach D.J Durkin and led to school president Wallace D. Loch publicly accepting "legal and moral responsibility" for the team's inability to "quickly diagnose and properly treat McNair's heatstroke," per Dinich.

Following McNair's death, Durkin was initially put on administrative leave, then returned to his position before public pressure led to his firing in October 2018. Strength and conditioning coach Rick Court resigned in August 2018. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has since hired Durkin as an assistant coach. 

Wednesday's settlement includes a partnership between Maryland and the Jordan McNair Foundation "to educate the public and athletic programs across the country about topics such as heat exhaustion, concussions, mental health and nutrition." The school will also contribute nearly $300,000 each year for the next decade to establish a student-athlete safety program on campus.  

"This victory today shows a lot of people that—guess what?—it can be done," McNair said. "If there's a wrong to their child or a loss of their child due to negligence along the way, it is possible to get a victory."