Ten Terps Selected to East-West Shrine Bowl 1000
7/13/2022 10:09:00 AM | Football
TAMPA, FL -- Ten seniors on the Maryland football team were selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list, which consists of the best 1,000 players throughout all of college football who are currently all-star game eligible for the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl and the 2023 NFL Draft class.
Offensive lineman Spencer Anderson, defensive back Jakorian Bennett, offensive lineman Johari Branch, wide receiver Jacob Copeland, wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr., offensive lineman Jaelyn Duncan, running back Challen Faamatau, wide receiver Jeshaun Jones, defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite and linebacker Durell Nchami were all named to the list. The Terps 10 selections are the fifth-most in the Big Ten, only trailing Michigan (14), Ohio State (13), Iowa (12) and Michigan State (12).
Current Tennessee Titan Chigoziem Okonkwo participated in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl and stood out, helping get his name on the radar of NFL teams and scouts.
Anderson was a 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection after blocking for the Terps record-setting pass offense, which set a program record for most passing yards in a season with 3,960. The redshirt senior earned an 86.6 pass blocking grade via Pro Football Focus, the highest of any offensive lineman in the Big Ten and 13th-highest among all Power Five players.
Bennett was a 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection after leading all Power Five players and ranked sixth in the FBS with 16 pass breakups, the most by a Terp since Domonique Foxworth had 22 in 2003. The senior allowed a QBR of 60 or lower in coverage last season against opposing quarterbacks.
Branch started all 13 games at right guard last season, protecting for the fourth-ranked offense in the Big Ten, averaging 441 yards per game. The senior was part of the Pro Football Focus Offensive Line of the Week for efforts vs. Kent State in 2021.
Copeland comes to Maryland from Florida, where he has appeared in 40 games with 23 starts over four seasons for the Gators, totaling 86 receptions for 1,366 yards and nine touchdowns. The junior set career-highs as Florida's leader in receptions (41), receiving yards (642) and receiving touchdowns (four) in 2021.
Demus Jr. is a three-time Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection who currently stands second all-time in program history with seven 100-yard receiving games, sixth all-time with 13 receiving touchdowns, eighth all-time with 1,775 receiving yards and 12th all-time with 106 receptions. The senior is widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the nation.
Duncan is a two-time Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection who has started 27 games at left tackle over the last three seasons. The redshirt senior protected QB Taulia Tagovailoa last season, who broke program records in passing yards (3,860), passing touchdowns (26), completions (328), completion percentage (69.2%) and 300-yard passing games (seven).
Faamatau appeared in the first nine games of season with one start vs. #22 Penn State last season. The senior totaled 235 rushing yards on 56 carries (4.2 ypc) and three rushing touchdowns in 2021.
Jones enters his fifth season with the Terps having appeared in 22 games to this point. The redshirt senior has totaled 693 receiving yards on 51 receptions with six receiving touchdowns.
Nasili-Kite was a 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection. The redshirt senior totaled 37 tackles (25 solo) and stood second on the team with seven tackles for loss for 35 yards and third on the team with four sacks for 28 yards while also breaking up two passes in 2021.
Nchami is regarded as a prolific pass rusher, tallying 11.5 tackles for loss in only 19 games played. On only 148 pass rush snaps since 2020, Nchami has a pass rush win rate of 27.5%, the highest in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus.
These 10 Terps will begin the 2022 season on September 3 vs. Buffalo. Buy tickets here.
Offensive lineman Spencer Anderson, defensive back Jakorian Bennett, offensive lineman Johari Branch, wide receiver Jacob Copeland, wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr., offensive lineman Jaelyn Duncan, running back Challen Faamatau, wide receiver Jeshaun Jones, defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite and linebacker Durell Nchami were all named to the list. The Terps 10 selections are the fifth-most in the Big Ten, only trailing Michigan (14), Ohio State (13), Iowa (12) and Michigan State (12).
Current Tennessee Titan Chigoziem Okonkwo participated in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl and stood out, helping get his name on the radar of NFL teams and scouts.
Anderson was a 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection after blocking for the Terps record-setting pass offense, which set a program record for most passing yards in a season with 3,960. The redshirt senior earned an 86.6 pass blocking grade via Pro Football Focus, the highest of any offensive lineman in the Big Ten and 13th-highest among all Power Five players.
Bennett was a 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection after leading all Power Five players and ranked sixth in the FBS with 16 pass breakups, the most by a Terp since Domonique Foxworth had 22 in 2003. The senior allowed a QBR of 60 or lower in coverage last season against opposing quarterbacks.
Branch started all 13 games at right guard last season, protecting for the fourth-ranked offense in the Big Ten, averaging 441 yards per game. The senior was part of the Pro Football Focus Offensive Line of the Week for efforts vs. Kent State in 2021.
Copeland comes to Maryland from Florida, where he has appeared in 40 games with 23 starts over four seasons for the Gators, totaling 86 receptions for 1,366 yards and nine touchdowns. The junior set career-highs as Florida's leader in receptions (41), receiving yards (642) and receiving touchdowns (four) in 2021.
Demus Jr. is a three-time Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection who currently stands second all-time in program history with seven 100-yard receiving games, sixth all-time with 13 receiving touchdowns, eighth all-time with 1,775 receiving yards and 12th all-time with 106 receptions. The senior is widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the nation.
Duncan is a two-time Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection who has started 27 games at left tackle over the last three seasons. The redshirt senior protected QB Taulia Tagovailoa last season, who broke program records in passing yards (3,860), passing touchdowns (26), completions (328), completion percentage (69.2%) and 300-yard passing games (seven).
Faamatau appeared in the first nine games of season with one start vs. #22 Penn State last season. The senior totaled 235 rushing yards on 56 carries (4.2 ypc) and three rushing touchdowns in 2021.
Jones enters his fifth season with the Terps having appeared in 22 games to this point. The redshirt senior has totaled 693 receiving yards on 51 receptions with six receiving touchdowns.
Nasili-Kite was a 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection. The redshirt senior totaled 37 tackles (25 solo) and stood second on the team with seven tackles for loss for 35 yards and third on the team with four sacks for 28 yards while also breaking up two passes in 2021.
Nchami is regarded as a prolific pass rusher, tallying 11.5 tackles for loss in only 19 games played. On only 148 pass rush snaps since 2020, Nchami has a pass rush win rate of 27.5%, the highest in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus.
These 10 Terps will begin the 2022 season on September 3 vs. Buffalo. Buy tickets here.
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