Jayden Shipps: Potential breakout player in 2025 for the Terps defense
Terrapins defensive back Lavain Scruggs mentioned freshman Jayden Shipps as someone who can break out for the defense this upcoming season. Maryland's secondary looks a lot different compared to 2024, with a lot of the room featuring guys who transferred in or have not seen the field that much in their collegiate careers.
When speaking to the media, Scruggs discussed why Shipps could break out on Wednesday afternoon: "He learns the playbook very fast. He's very smart, and he can play multiple positions."
Defensive back Lavain Scruggs shouted out freshman Jayden Shipps as a potential breakout player on Maryland’s defense, citing his ability to play across the field.
— Jake Kauderer (@jakekauderer) July 30, 2025
Shipps played with Malik Washington at Archbishop Spalding. pic.twitter.com/dcXzBnWJDH
Shipps attended Archbishop Spalding,
the same high school as fellow teammate and quarterback Malik Washington. In his sophomore year, he played in 11 games, posting 30 solo tackles, 25 assisted tackles, and two interceptions. The following year, in 2023-24, he played only in five contests, picking up 19 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, one pass deflection, and one interception. He was a key component of a team that won three straight MIAA championships.
Shipps is a fast, active defensive back with good ball tracking abilities who's also not afraid to get physical and go head-to-head for a tackle.
In 2024, the Maryland secondary....
- Ranked 17th in the Big Ten in touchdown passes surrendered (22).
- Ranked 16th in passing yards allowed per game (241.3).
- The unit was also 17th in the Big Ten in yards allowed per completion (12.1).
- The defensive secondary accounted for 12 pass interference and two defensive holding calls.
Hopefully, adding Shipps into the mix with this new-look secondary can spark a new sense of energy and play in the room.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.