Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton is starting to get the deserved national recognition after a hot start through the first four weeks.
One week after being omitted from their top ten list, On3 ranked Felton as the sixth-highest impact wide receiver in the country. Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka was the lone Big Ten receiver ranked ahead of Felton.
On3: “This looks like a breakout campaign for the Terrapins wide receiver. Just last season, Felton had 48 catches for 723 yards, six touchdowns and 15.1 yards per catch. Now? Man, buckle up for this stat line in just four games. Felton has 41 catches for 401 yards, five touchdowns and 14.7 yards per catch. He’s on pace to shatter his numbers from 2023.
Following that performance, Felton saw the largest NIL valuation jump among skill players across college football, per On3’s NIL Valuation, which factors in roster value performance, influence, exposure and deal data.
“He had opportunities a year ago, other people came knocking and he decided to stay because he understands what our offensive system offers a guy like him,” head coach Mike Locksley said last week.
Felton enters week five ranked within the top five nationally in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdown after becoming the first player in program history to open the season with 100+ receiving yards in four consecutive games. His career-high 14 catches vs. Villanova finished as the second-most in program history behind Torrey Smith’s 16 back in 2010, but the electric wideout is drawing more eyes on him after an offseason filled with positive feedback.
The Virginia native will face his toughest test of the season this weekend with CB D’Angelo Ponds likely lined up opposite of him as the offense finds ways to keep Felton involved, while also turning to its other playmakers.
“That's the chess match where we've got to continue to find a way to keep Tai involved, keep Kaden [Prather] involved. But I think some of these complementary players that maybe haven't had as big a roles, the Dylan Wade’s, the Octavian Smith’s, the Colby McDonald's,” Locksley added this week.
Felton enters week five just seven catches, 119 yards away and one touchdown away from tying near season-highs before Maryland hits the halfway point of the 2024 season.
“Tai Felton is one of my favorite players, man. And he's my one of my favorite players because of seeing the way he has developed in our program,” Locksley said. “It's a reflection that what we talk about being a growth mindset, a developmental program – Tai embodies. Two years ago, I was doing some research for this. A couple years ago, it was written about how the ball hit off his facemask against Michigan I think in one of our papers. Talked about, a year ago, I think we wrote about he dropped a big play against Northwestern that maybe could have helped us win the game. And now everybody's like Tai Felton is the best thing since sliced bread. And you know what? He is. and I don't say his past to take away from what he's doing. But what I'm saying is Tai Felton has developed in our program. And if some people give us the ability to develop these players, you won't be as surprised about what Tai Felton does. Because nobody in our building is surprised. Because if you got to know him, if you see what I get to see every single day. This kid and Leon Haughton caught tennis balls off the tennis ball machine from 11 to 1 [AM] every night during the summer and all last season. And you know what? Tai is a byproduct of his work ethic, his effort that he puts in, and what this program kind of tries to do develop with people. So that's my soapbox.”
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