Maryland football: One Terrapin cracks ESPN's top 100 list for 2024 season
ESPN revealed its top 100 college football players during the 2024 season recently and there was one Maryland Terrapin who cracked the list. After going 4-8 this past season, there weren't too many Terps who were going to land in the best-of-the-best list, but wide receiver Tai Felton did enough to make it.
ESPN has the prolific wide receiver at No. 85. During ESPN's preseason ranking, Felton wasn't ranked, so it was a nice bump for the 1,000-yard receiver. Felton finished 2024 leading Maryland after hauling in 96 receptions for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns.
"On a team with mediocre QB play, Felton still managed to become one of the most reliable receivers in the country," Hale wrote on ESPN. "He finished the season with 1,124 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns and 96 catches, tying Travis Hunter for the fourth most in college football. Felton had five 100-yard games and six games with at least nine catches. Felton racked up the fourth-most yards-after-catch in the country among wide receivers, and his 56 catches for a first down ranked third among wideouts."
Felton enjoyed a nice four-year career for Maryland after signing with the Terrapins in the '21 class. He appeared in eight games as a true freshman and started seeing starts as soon as his sophomore year. By 2023, Felton led Maryland hauling in six touchdowns and was second on the team catching 48 receptions for 723 yards.
Here are some notes on Felton via UmTerps.com.
Career honors:
- 2024 Third Team All-American (AP)
- 2024 Second Team All-American (AFCA)
- 2024 First Team All-Big Ten
- 2024 Biletnikoff Semifinalist
- 2024 team captain
- Program-record holder for single-season catches (96 in 2024)
- Ranks third all-time in career receptions (172), fourth all-time in receiving yards (2, 207) and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (17)
- One of four Terps in program history with a 1,000+ receiving yard season
- First Terp ever to begin season with four straight 100+ receiving yard games (2024 season)
- DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Winner (9/23/24)
- Reese’s Senior Bowl Invitee
- 2024 Shrine Bowl 1000
- 2023 Third-Team All-Big Ten
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Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Senior Writer for Michigan Wolverines On SI for the 2024 football season. Trent is also the managing editor for Maryland On SI. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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