Junior tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.
“Dear Terp Nation,
These past 4 years in College Park have been nothing but special. I have met unbelievable people and have made memories that will last a lifetime. I would like to thank all of the staff that I had the opportunity to be around and learn from for the past 4 years. I will always cherish the smiles and fun times we had. Thank you to all the fans that supported this journey for the past 4 years. Thank you for sticking with us as we built this program up through the years. Lastly, I want to thank my brothers that I have played with in my time at Maryland. All of the trials and tribulations we went through created a bond that can never be broken. We’ve built something special that is trending in the right direction. Thank you guys for bringing the best out of me every day.
The announcement comes as no surprise as the junior set program records during the 2021 season. Okonkwo amassed 20 combined catches against Penn State and Michigan State, the most of a Maryland tight end in program history. Okonkwo’s 112 receiving yards against the Spartans were the most by a Maryland tight end since Vernon Davis posted 139 yards back in 2005, while his 12 catches against Penn State were the second-most receptions ever in a game by a Maryland player since DJ Moore in 2017.
Okonkwo bounced back after missing the 2020 season due to a myocarditis diagnosis. The time away from the game gave the Georgia native an added perspective on the game heading into this season.
“I’m really excited for what’s to come because the mindset of this team is well ahead of like any team that we’ve been on. We expect to win now; before it was hoping to win. Now we go out there and we expect to win every time we play. The young guys are super mature, we didn’t have any young guys come in and doing some BS. Everybody came in to work, we had an amazing summer program. A lot of player-run practices. I cannot wait to see this because we’ve been putting in the work.”
Okonkwo finished the 2021 season second on the team with 49 catches and recorded 433 receiving yards and finished tied for first on the team, alongside Rakim Jarrett and Carlos Carriere, with five receiving touchdowns this season. Okonkwo finishes his Maryland career with 73 receptions for 695 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Okonkwo is the first Maryland player to announce his postseason plans. He committed to Maryland during the class of 2018 and was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports.
"It was really big. They recruited me so hard, I knew that I was wanted,” Okonkwo told me when he committed to Maryland. “I felt so wanted when I got there and they were all there cheering me on. When I walked in, I met every single coach--even the strength staff, the academic coordinators. They all were so excited and I just felt at home. So I'm rolling with my gut," Okonkwo said.
Maryland will play Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 29. Kickoff is set for 2:15 PM.