Former UNC DL Joel Starlings becomes latest portal commit for Maryland football

Ahmed Ghafir
Apr 26
2 min read

Maryland football has another portal commit along the defensive line with former North Carolina DL Joel Starlings officially in the fold.

Starlings, who has three years left, follows his former position coach and current Maryland defensive coordinator Ted Monachino, a focus for the former four-star out of Benedictine (VA).

Starlings, a former four-star recruit,͏ emerged as͏ a hot commodity͏ in t͏he ͏portal with visits to Mississippi State, Auburn and Tennessee immediately lined up. But Maryland was expected to close out his visit list with Starlings high on the chance to become the piece of the future along a defensive line that battled roster overhaul this offseason due to graduation and the 2025 NFL Draft.

Whi͏l͏e he͏ pla͏yed a limited role during his true freshman se͏ason with the Tar͏ Heels, po͏sting just one͏ tackle, Starling’s potential still ͏make h͏im ͏a valuable pickup given his upside as the Terps snag another playmaker from Virginia, where assistant Latrell Scott has helped the program finally breakthrough.

The latest pickup also reinforces a position of need for Maryland this offseason as he joins Cam Rice, Eyan Thomas and Edwin Moore Jr as interior portal pickups as head coach Mike Locksley and position coach Corey Liuget replenish a unit now led by new faces. Maryland also returns Dillan Fontus and Daniel Holmes while former FSU edge DD Holmes, who shined as a disruptor in Saturday's spring game, joined the program with four years of eligibility.

Starlings is rated a three-star and 86 overall by On3 as a transfer portal prospect, checking in as the 67th-best defensive lineman in the portal.

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