Maryland will look to find a new wide receiver coach ahead of spring ball after Gunter Brewer was named the new director of high school relations at Virginia Tech on Tuesday, but there will be plenty of familiar faces catching passes in College Park beginning this spring. We evaluate the wide receiver room heading into the spring.
Spring WR room
SR Tai Felton
SR Kaden Prather
JR Octavian Smith
JR Shaleak Knotts
rSO Leon Haughton
SO Braeden Wisloski
rFR Ryan Manning
rFR Josh Richards
rFR Sean Williams
rFR Ezekiel Avit
FR Mekhai White
Where they stand
Though they’ll be tasked with replacing the production of Jeshaun Jones in 2024, Maryland’s wide receiver room has a lot of familiarity heading into the spring with Mekhai White the lone new face in the room as the former King George (VA) standout is set to take part in his first round of spring ball.
The room, of course, is led by the dynamic senior duo with Tai Felton’s blazing speed second-to-none in the room paired with Kaden Prather’s threat as a deep ball nightmare where he can flash his impressive catch radius once more. Developing a rapport with the quarterbacks will be the biggest development through the spring, but within the wide receiver room, how good the unit can be likely hinges on two players: Octavian Smith and Shaleak Knotts.
Smith finished sixth on the team in catches (22) and receiving yards (209) while his only touchdown in 2023 came on a 31-yard screen in the week four win vs. Michigan State. Knotts, meanwhile, posted seven catches for 55 yards and appeared in all but one game, though the former four-star saw his reps increase toward the end of the regular season. Smith has been able to showcase his quickness in the open field at times, but remaining consistent and limiting drops is the next step for the explosive athlete with a chance to become a staple in the 2024 room. The same can be said for Knotts, who’s had opportunities slip away on his deep ball targets through his first two seasons with the program.
Leon Haughton showed flashes in the offseason heading into last season, while freshman Braeden Wisloski first made a name for himself as a kick returner as the Pennsylvania native looks to translate his second-gear type of speed into production out of the slot in 2024.
Ryan Manning impressed with his ability to pick up the terminology once he arrived on campus during bowl prep leading up to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, while another high upside prospect in ‘Zeke’ Avit spent the season learning the technique of the position. Josh Richards will also look to tap into his athleticism and potential as an outside receiver, while former SJC WR Sean Williams rebounds from a season-ending injury.
What to watch in the spring
This is a unit that has two proven pieces in Felton and Prather, but again, the ceiling of the wide receiver room hinges on the year three development from Smith and Knotts. The Terps have no shortage of speed in the receiving game between Felton, Smith and Roman Hemby out of the backfield, while NFL potential from Kaden Prather gives the room another dependable piece. Whether a third piece emerges could determine whether the Terps add a portal piece to bolster the room.
Related Links
Two priority local targets set June official visits to Maryland (+)
Pair of local defensive targets include Maryland in spring visit plans (+)
Report: Maryland to face Villanova in 2024 Empire Classic
Gunter Brewer headed to Virginia Tech as director of high school relations
Maryland football 2024 spring ball preview: offensive line (+)