Maryland LB Ruben Hyppolite, WR Kaden Prather accept postseason invites
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Dec 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Several players like Tommy Akingbesote, Glen Miller and Tai Felton have announced their intention of declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft after exhausting their eligibility, but a third Terp has accepted his invite for a postseason game with their college careers drawing to an end.
Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite will suit up in the Caribe Royale Orlando 2025 Hula Bowl All-Star Game, which is set for Jan. 11, 2025 at noon at the UCF FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, FL.
Hyppolite became an integral piece of the Terps’ turnaround efforts under Mike Locksley after signing with the program a former three-star in the 2019 class. He’d then start 33 games over the next three seasons before solidifying his plans to return to the program in 2024 as the Florida native led the team in total tackles (66) and in second in solo tackles (33) and tied for third in TFLs (6.5).
Meanwhile, wide receiver Kaden Prather became the first player from Maryland football to accept his invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl last week, which is set for Jan. 30, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There’s a good chance that Prather isn’t the only Terp to end up suiting in the game with other seniors finalizing their decisions in the coming days, but it’ll be one more chance for the big-bodied receiver to showcase his NFL potential.
Juice Wells (Ole Miss), Jimmy Horn (Colorado), WR Konta Mumphield (Pitt) and Isaiah Neyor (Nebraska) are among the other wide receivers who have accepted invites to the postseason game with Shedeur Sanders, Kyle McCord and Kurtis Rourke among the quarterbacks who will be in attendance.
After spending two seasons at West Virginia, Prather became an immediate contributor for Maryland’s offense after finishing with at least two catches in all but three of his 25 appearances with the program. His first career 100-yard receiving game came during the comeback win vs. USC as he also posted a career-high nine catches, while he posted 98 receptions, 1,290 receiving yards and nine touchdowns during his two year career.
Prather gives Maryland a presence at the Shrine Bowl for the third consecutive year after Tarheeb Still (’23), Taulia Tagovailoa (’23), Gottlieb Ayedze (’23), Ja’Quan Sheppard (’23) and Chigoziem Okonkwo (’22) all previously suited up.
Phillips, a transfer from Tennessee, started in 22 of his 24 games during his two years at Maryland after anchoring the defensive line. Although expected, it’s a tough hit for a unit tasked with replacing its three top contributors in departing seniors Tommy Akingbesote, Taizse Johnson and Quashon Fuller. Phillips ranked 51st on The Athletic’s annual ‘Freaks List’ heading into the season.
“This kid is a manchild,” Locksley said. “He’s explosive. He’s (former Alabama star-turned-first rounder who was No. 11 on the 2016 Freaks List) Daron Payne. He’s a nose tackle, but he’s light and so twitchy.”
Maryland returns Lavon Johnson and Dillon Fontus in 2025 to restock its interior while Neeo Avery is slated to return for his third season with the program, but defensive line will be among focus positions for Maryland heading into year seven of the Mike Locksley era.
“We'll continue to use the portal to maybe address some of those areas, bring in a couple of linemen, bring in maybe a C-area guy there at tight end, bring in some corners and safeties that have the ability to come in and immediately help us, like we've been able to do with the Jakorian Bennett’s, the Ja’Quan Shepperd’s that have come here the last few years and help us. And I anticipate us doing some of that here once the portal opens and I expect us to be pretty active thanks to the resources that we've been provided this year,” head coach Mike Locksley said as he recapped the 2025 signing day haul.
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