Instant Impact

When a program loses five players to the draft and puts nine on initial training camp rosters, which Maryland did after the 2022 season—it’s a clear signal that the program is one with big-time players and championship aspirations, which Maryland is. However, it likely also signals that there are some big pieces to replace on the roster, a job Maryland is tasked with heading into the 2023 campaign. 

Fortunately for the Terrapins, head coach Michael Locksley and his staff brought in a high-quality group of transfers in the offseason—both in terms of their play on the field and their character off it. 

“All of these are names that you guys will get to know,” Locksley said about his transfer class while addressing the local media during Maryland’s on-campus media day on Wednesday. “We’re really, really excited based on how they performed in the spring as well as how quickly they bought into the standard we’ve set as a program. We expect those guys to hit the ground running with us.”

The group of offensive transfers is highlighted by a talented pair of receivers in Tyrese Chambers and Kaden Prather, both of whom have quickly impressed their coaches and teammates. 

“We’re super excited to have them here,” said sixth-year wideout and leader of that position group Jeshaun Jones. “It feels like those guys have been here this whole time. People ask, ‘How's playing football with them?’ And they’re definitely great players. But they’re such good people off the field that I think it makes it that much better.”

Chambers, a graduate transfer who has previous stops at a junior college, an FCS school (Sacred Heart) and an FBS school (Florida International) has carved out a quick leadership role thanks to his wide range of experiences on the field. He also wears the number zero in large part because of the zero offers he received in high school. 

“Tyrese has a natural ability as a leader because everything he’s gotten he’s had to earn and work for,” Locksley said. “Those are the types of stories that when he talks to the younger players in the room, they listen.”

Prather, who played in 20 games for West Virginia over the last two seasons and was recruited by Maryland coming out of high school, has equally impressed.

“I knew what type of person he was being involved in his recruiting process from the beginning,” Locksley said. “I’ve been really happy with what he’s done here so far.” 

For both guys, the decision to transfer was an easy one, boiling down to two main factors: the ability to play close to home (Chambers is from Baltimore while Prather hails from Montgomery, Village) and the high rate of success that Locksley has always had with putting his receivers in the NFL. 

“This is my dream school,” Chambers said. “I always wanted to be here. I wanted to be here out of high school. But everything happens for a reason and everyone’s path is different. My energy is always high here. And why wouldn't it be? This is the best place in the world. It’s my home. I’m just so happy to be here.”

“What they do with receivers, the proof is in the pudding,” Prather said. “Coach Locks didn’t really have to say too much about what he can do for me, I saw it all in what he’s been able to do with the receivers at any place he’s been at. Coach Gattis and him are both wide receiver guys. It was a very easy decision for me.”

The duo greatly benefitted from spring ball, both in getting comfortable in their new surroundings and in assimilating to a new playbook and new teammates. The two capped off their big springs with an impressive Spring Game, with Chambers scoring two touchdowns and being named the game’s MVP. 

“I was definitely a little starstruck when I got here in the spring, it just felt so surreal,” Chambers said. “But I learned a lot in the spring and I was blessed to finish with a good Spring Game and make my family proud and happy. I was locked in but every now and then I’d look around and be surprised that I made it to this point.”

“Spring ball I was definitely feeling everybody out,” Prather added. “I didn’t want to come in here and just try to do my own thing. So I worked hard at being a sponge all spring and soaking up everything I could learn. And I definitely learned a lot and made good relationships with everybody. It definitely set me up well to have a good fall camp.”

Prather was also sure to note the relationships he’s developed with the guys on the offensive line—a group that lost three starters to the NFL and is likely the room with the most question marks surrounding it heading into the new season. 

However, as Locksley made sure to address on Wednesday, that group has added plenty of talent, including two transfers in Corey Bullock and Gottlieb Ayedze. Bullock, an Accokeek, MD native, comes from NC Central where he played multiple positions on the offensive front, surrendering just one sack in 11 games. He had team-highs in pancake blocks (14) and knockdowns (9). Ayedze hails from Germantown and was a four-year standout at Frostburg State. He was named First Team All-MEC and First Team AFCA All-America. 

“Though we lost a lot of production in terms of experience up front, we feel like the portal has allowed us to fill some of those gaps,” Locksley said of the revamped offensive line. “Bringing in those new guys along with some of our returners makes healthy competition, which is really important in that room.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Terps turned to the portal to help fill needs on the defensive line and in the secondary. The additions of Jordan Phillips and Donnell Brown helped solidify depth in the trenches while the defensive back room got much-needed boosts by bringing in cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard from Cincinnati and safety Avantae Williams from Miami. 

Similarly to Chambers, Phillips has come in and become one of the more respected voices on his side of the ball—even as a redshirt freshman—thanks to his natural leadership abilities and dedication to his craft.

“Jordan has a lot of leadership and he works extremely hard,” defensive coordinator Brian Williams said. “That work ethic is the biggest thing. He’s come in and earned the trust of the guys around him and that goes a long way.” 

Phillips has found that same work ethic in many of his teammates, making it an easy transition for him during the spring.

“I was just myself and I worked hard everyday,” he said. “The biggest thing for me is not becoming complacent. Some people see a little bit of success within their craft and they become complacent. The thing with me is that I’m never satisfied because there’s always things I can improve on. And the guys in this locker room feel the same way. So when I work to get myself better after meetings or practice, it’s easy to grab someone else to get in 15 extra minutes with you.”

That culture of never being satisfied was a main driver in Phillips’ decision to transfer to Maryland after a year at Tennessee—something he was already keenly aware of thanks to his prior relationships with Locksley and Williams during his first recruiting cycle.

“When I jumped into the portal and they started recruiting me again, we basically picked up right where we left off then. I was very impressed with the culture here and the focus on the little things. No one is bigger than Maryland here and I like that.”

The new additions in the secondary, a group that also has a lot to replace after losing Deonte Banks and Jakorian Bennett, the highest-drafted cornerback duo in the draft, have been just as impressive. Both Sheppard and Williams drew rave reviews from veteran safety Beau Brade.

“Right when I heard he was coming here, I went to watch his highlight tape and saw that he was a baller,” Brade said of Sheppard, a 2022 First Team All-AAC selection. “And since he’s been here I’ve seen how smart and intellectual he is on the field and in the defensive back meeting room. He’s a baller and he’s got that dog mentality in him. And I love that because corners have to have that type of mentality in them. I think he’s going to be something special for us in the DB room.”

“And then there’s Avantae; he learned the defense really quickly,” Brade added of Williams, the No. 1 safety in the 2020 class by Rivals and ESPN, who has 17 career ACC games to his name. “He also brings this pure joy to the game which you need.”

Above all, the transfers echoed one main sentiment: they came to Maryland to win and they expect to do so with this current group.

“We’re all competitors and we all believe that this team can be really special,” Prather said. “We just have to keep focusing on the little things we need to do to win.

“We have a brotherhood and a togetherness that we’ve really locked in on,” Phillips added. “We’re all focused together on doing whatever it takes to accomplish our main goal.”

The main goal is one that Locksley and his group have not shied away from since making the declaration at Big Ten Media Day in Indianapolis last week: Maryland is ready to compete for Big Ten Championships.

“The thing that led me to be able to declare that we’re ready to compete for Big Ten Championships is just that, the players,” Locksley stated. “That’ll be a point of emphasis. I like the way our locker room has come together. I think you’re really starting to see the fruits of that player-driven culture that we’ve been hounding for the last four years.” 

Locksley finally has all the guys to it—and this year's transfer class will play a vital role in all of it.