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COLLEGE PARK — Maryland football is lacking for quarterbacks this spring. Billy Edwards and MJ Morris transferred out, and freshman Malik Washington has hardly settled in after enrolling early. The Terps needed an arm for their NFL draft-hopeful pass catchers at their pro day Friday.
So receivers Tai Felton and Kaden Prather rang Taulia Tagovailoa. The former Maryland quarterback, the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer who played in the Canadian Football League last year, was also looking for an opportunity in front of NFL eyes — 66 personnel from 31 teams were present.
“Get your butt down here,” Prather said they told Tagovailoa on a FaceTime call.
Tagovailoa was an obvious solution. He provides comfort and familiarity for the two receivers, who once combined for one of the Big Ten’s best passing attacks.
Tagovailoa’s return to College Park highlighted an otherwise uneventful Maryland pro day, which featured 12 players hoping to hear their names called during the NFL draft in April. The Terps don’t have any projected first-round picks to showcase this year, which meant Friday gave others an opportunity to help their stock.
“Tai wanted his blankie,” Locksley joked. “[Tagovailoa] is very familiar with those guys. For Tai, this is his job interview.”
After concluding positional drills, which consisted of various routes and Tagovailoa heaves, Felton spent nearly 30 minutes returning punts as scouts observed. These showcases are meant to display versatility, especially for players of Felton’s caliber who will have to earn their way onto a pro roster. Most mock drafts have the 6-foot-1, 183-pound senior receiver slated between the third and fifth rounds. Special teams could separate him.
Felton’s improving draft stock was aided by excelling at the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds last month in Indianapolis, the sixth fastest time of more than 30 receivers who participated. Felton did not run the 40-yard dash Friday.
“I felt like I didn’t have to,” Felton said. “I already dominated it.”
If it’s not Felton, defensive lineman Jordan Phillips could be Maryland’s highest drafted player. The 20-year-old junior is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft, which he said hasn’t concerned NFL teams.
Phillips boasts traits that enamor scouts and were on display Friday and at the NFL scouting combine, where he led all defensive tackles with 29 bench press reps. But a lack of production — he finished with zero sacks in his two seasons with the Terps — could create question marks.
“I think he’s really made money for himself,” Locksley said. “In the NFL, they want big guys that have the ability to close and stop the run. He has been a disruptive force for us. I would have loved [if we] had one more year with him.”
Perhaps no one helped their future Friday more than fifth-year linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds. As the 6-foot, 240-pound Hyppolite slowed to a jog, teammates’ cheers echoed throughout the gym as they chased him downfield. Hyppolite’s 40-yard dash result would’ve led all linebackers at the NFL scouting combine. The linebacker said he’d been training to improve his time in the drill for weeks and was glad to see that work come to fruition.
“I was expecting that,” Hyppolite said. “They were all anticipating that. I’m just glad I was able to perform well.”
Hyppolite is childhood friends with Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, who was also in College Park on Friday. They’re both Broward County, Florida, natives and battled each other in high school often. “He’s like a brother to me,” Hyppolite said.
In addition to Flowers, former Terps standouts Beau Brade and Tarheeb Still returned to help their former teammates. Still tallied four interceptions last year in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers, while Brade was the only undrafted free agent to make the Ravens’ roster. Their mentorship hasn’t dissipated even after leaving the program.
“Beau Brade is the biggest supporter in my life, outside of my family,” safety Dante Trader Jr. (McDonogh) said. “When I came in, he was the first guy to reach out to me. I knew I could always call on him in this process. He told me it’s gonna be long, you’re gonna go through ups and downs, how to handle meetings, handle the media. Just be yourself and don’t overdo it.”
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
