Maryland picked up a major commitment at a dire position of need after former Bowling Green cornerback Jalen Huskey announced his decision to transfer into the program.
Huskey, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback originally from Frederick, Maryland, is fresh off his official visit and days removed from entering the transfer portal. Huskey admitted that Maryland “checked off all the boxes on my list” ahead of announcing his commitment.
“Feel like I got to see what it’s really like there and I’m excited,” Huskey added. “Just getting to see the inside of the program. I’ve seen the program from the outside but I’ve never got to see what it’s really like and how it really works here and I think just the whole overall experience was the best part for me.”
Huskey began his high school career at Middletown (MD) before transferring to Quince Orchard (MD) for his final two seasons where the two-way athlete became an impact player for the Cougars. Huskey would sign with Bowling Green in the 2022 cycle, posting seven tackles in nine games as a true freshman.
Huskey’s rise to stardom came in 2023 when he started in all 12 games, finishing with 52 tackles, six pass deflections, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss while tying for first in the MAC with four interceptions. Huskey also notched a career-high ten tackles at Liberty along with reeling in one of his four interceptions against Michigan QB JJ McCarthy. Huskey ended his sophomore campaign ranked the 23rd-highest graded cornerback in the country, according to Pro Football Focus, along with being named first-team All-MAC selection, the first cornerback in Bowling Green history to do so in ten years.
Huskey was among the 1,100-plus student-athletes to enter the transfer portal on Monday, Dec. 4, as Maryland immediately began doing their homework on the in-state standout. The local cornerback and his family arrived in College Park on Friday with no plans to visit other schools, giving Maryland a chance to wrap up the portal pursuit during the first weekend possible.
With Ja’Quan Sheppard already off to the NFL, Maryland saw cornerback Tarheeb Still declare for the 2024 NFL Draft along with Corey Coley Jr. and Gavin Gibson elect to enter the transfer portal. Maryland returns Lionell Whitaker as the lone veteran in the 2024 cornerback room while three cornerbacks are publicly committed in the Terps’ class, but the addition of Huskey gives Maryland its first impact addition from the transfer portal.
Jalen Huskey joins the program with three years remaining to play two and will enroll in January.
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