Shaleak Knotts looks to capitalize as WR3 in year four with Maryland football

Ahmed Ghafir
5 hours ago
2 min read

Maryland’s wide receiver room has been a consistent strength under head coach Mike Locksley’s with players like Rakim Jarrett, Jeshaun Jones, Dontay Demus and Tai Felton among the long list of playmakers who have dazzled in Locksley’s offense. 2025 marked the first season the unit faced a question mark heading into the season with WR Octavian Smith serving as the unit’s vet while WR Jalil Farooq battled back the season-ending injury suffered while at Oklahoma to hit the ground running to kick off fall camp.

While the offseason expectation pointed to Smith and Farooq cementing the top of the room, who would step in as WR3 was the biggest question mark for the position with several returners and transfers battling for the mix.

Through two games, there’s been no grey area about who has capitalized in that role: WR Shaleak Knotts. But he’s done more than just capitalizing as WR3.

Entering the season with just one touchdown in three seasons, Knotts has recorded touchdowns in consecutive games while he leads Maryland in receiving yards (117) on seven catches.

“Taking those two touchdowns in it was very huge for me and team. I feel like that's something I've been waiting to do my whole four years since I've been here and I feel like I'm letting you guys see what I can do,” Knotts said on Tuesday.

It’d be Knotts who connected with QB Malik Washington in week one on a 29-yard fly route into the endzone, pushing Maryland’s lead to 19-7, before stepping up on a 4^th-and-5 to give Maryland a two-possession lead in the eventual week two win vs. Northern Illinois. Maryland will now shift to its non-conference finale this weekend against Towson with Big Ten play around the corner, but Knotts will look to build on his early season success to bolster the room.

In addition to leading the team in receiving yards, Knotts sits second in catches (7) and third in targets (13) while becoming one of two Big Ten players to record multiple receiving touchdowns of 25 yards or more in 2025.

“I've been sitting behind great guys like Jeshaun Jones, Tai Felton and Kaden Prather. There's been a lot of guys that came through that room. So I feel like over the years, I've learned how to stay patient and wait my time,” Knotts said. “I feel like that's something I'm teaching other guys, because I know it's hard waiting behind other guys, watching guys make plays, so I feel like that's something I can do and be a leader for the team.”

It helps having a quarterback in Malik Washington, who Knotts added has “something special” as he guides the program to a bounceback year. But for the former four-star now looking to break out in year four with the program, Knotts is looking to capitalize on his expanded role to bolster the passing attack.

“I just feel like sitting behind a couple of guys that were in front of me, now, it's my time to shine.”

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