With the start of the Big Ten football season just about a month away, teams are gearing up on the practice field in preparation of the Oct. 24 opener.
Next up, TSR takes a look at five true freshmen who should have an instant impact in College Park.
Rakim Jarrett
Torrey Smith, Stefon Diggs, DJ Moore...Rakim Jarrett?
A former five-star and Under Armour All-American, Jarrett joins the Terps program with lofty expectations. And those expectations likely rose even higher with the addition of former Alabama quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa in the offseason.
The Terps' wide receiver group already returned one of the Big Ten's top deep threats in junior wideout Dontay Demus, who caught 41 balls for 625 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. Now the Terps will pair Demus with Jarrett, who proved to be one of the top deep threats in the WCAC, arguable the nation's top high school conference, a season ago. Jarrett caught 60 balls for 950 yards and seven touchdowns.
With a quarterback known for his ability to complete the ball down field and not one, but two elite deep threats on the outside, opposing defenses will likely have to pick their poison.
While it could take Jarrett a while to adjust to the college game, early returns say he's likely to have a significant impact before the season is over.
Ruben Hyppolite
Other than Rakim Jarrett, no member of the 2020 recruiting class arrived in College Park with more hype than Ruben Hyppolite. The former four-star linebacker continued to be pursued by schools like Alabama and LSU right up until Signing Day.
With last seson's Terps sack leader Keandre Jones moving on, the Terps have a vacancy at outside linebacker and Hyppolite could very well be the one to fill that void. He will likely compete with Cortez Andrews for the starting outside spot at the beginning of the season, but Hyppolite's size, speed and instinct say he has a very good chance of being entrenched as the starter by the time the season comes to a close.
Having enrolled early, Hyppolite should be able to get acclimated to the college game more quickly. A two-time Florida state champ, he will also bring a winning mindset to the program.
Peny Boone
No position group was hit harder this offseason than the Terps' running back unit. Anthony McFarland and Javon Leake were early entrants to the NFL Draft, while Lorenzo Harrison retired due to medical reasons. On top of that, senior Jake Funk has had to battle injury each of the past two seasons.
Enter Peny Boone.
At 6-foot-1, 225-pounds, Boone gives the Terps the type of big, bruising back they have not possessed in recent years. He proved he can carry the load last season, rushing for 1,282 yards on 129 carries with 22 touchdowns. And he actually seemed to get stronger, as his numbers seemed to get better as the season went on and into the playoffs.
While Boone could eventually be that every-down back that wears down defenses as the game goes on, he has also shown solid hands and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, a rare trait for a back of his size.
Returning backs Funk and Tayon Fleet-Davis are likely to see a significant number of carries to start the season. But if Boone gets hot or shows vast improvement throughout the season, don't be surprised if his number of carries continues to increase throughout the year.
Isaiah Jacobs
If Peny Boone is thunder, than Isaiah Jacobs is the lightning. Like Rakim Jarrett flipping from LSU to Maryland on Signing Day, Jacobs was another Signing Day surprise for the Terps.
Despite entering Maryland as a four-star prospect, Jacobs' recruitment didn't garner the type of attention you would think it might. This is likely because of the fact he missed all but four games of his senior season due to injury. Still, Jacobs was able to rush for 632 yards and six touchdown on just 76 carries. He also caught 11 passes for 160 yards and two more scores.
Perhaps what has folks most excited about Jacobs is his bloodlines. He is the younger brother of Oakland Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs--who played at Alabama and was coached by current Terps head coach Michael Locksley--and they have similar running styles. He also brings that same winning mentality, having helped his high school team to a pair of state championships during his time at Owasso.
Like Boone, if Jacobs can get quickly acclimated to the college game, it could be just a matter of time before he sees a bulk of the carries for the Terps.
Osita Smith
Smith, who played his high school football at (Columbia, Md.) Wilde Lake, spent the past season prepping at Milford Academy in New York. Originally expected to sign with West Virginia, Smith was a bit of a surprise signing for the Terps.
While the Terps lost one of their biggest playmakers on defense this offseason in safety Antoine Brooks, they will once again have the services of senior safety Antwaine Richardson, who returns this season after missing all of last year with a torn ACL. With sophomore Nick Cross entrenched as the other starting safety spot, this is likely to be a position of strength.
Junior Jordan Mosley will compete for a starting spot at safety also, but it is Smith who is the likeliest of the newcomers to earn a spot in the two-deep at safety. Smith's prep year should give him a leg up over fellow freshmen safeties Beau Brade and Glenn Miller.