Six Maryland football players have been named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten on the offensive side of the ball, the league announced on Wednesday.
Sophomore wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, senior tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo and junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa were each chosen by both the media and coaches. Junior offensive lineman Spencer Anderson was selected by the media, while senior wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. and senior offensive lineman Jaelyn Duncan were both selected by the coaches.
The six players selected all-conference are the most for Maryland on the offensive side of the ball since six Terps were named All-ACC in 2008.
Anderson, who has made a team-high tying 17 straight starts, showed his versatility in 2021 by making eight starts at right tackle before making four at center to finish the regular season. He leads all tackles in the Big Ten with a 86.0 Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade.
Demus Jr., who suffered a season-ending injury on October 1 versus Iowa, had 28 receptions for 507 yards and three touchdowns in just five games. At the time of his injury, Demus Jr. led the Big Ten and stood 11th in the country in receiving yards. He ranked third in the conference in receptions per game (5.6) and sixth in touchdowns. Demus Jr. has caught a pass in 27 straight games.
Duncan, who has started 28 games at left tackle during his Terps career, has been named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten for the second straight year. He helps block for the 14th-best passing offense in the country as the Terps are averaging 307.1 passing yards per game.
Jarrett has had a breakout sophomore campaign as he leads the Terps in receptions (56), receiving yards (769) and is tied for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns. He ranks eighth in the Big Ten in receiving yards and receptions, and is tied for 10th in receiving touchdowns. Jarrett has at least one reception in every game this season and has posted at least 50 receiving yards in eight games.
Okonkwo hauled in 49 catches for 433 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. He ranks first among all Big Ten tight ends in both receiving touchdowns and receptions in conference games (41). Okonkwo’s touchdown mark ranks sixth among all Power Five tight ends. He hauled in 12 receptions against Penn State, the second-most in a game by any Big Ten player this season, and his 112 receiving yards at Michigan State were the second-most by any tight end in a Big Ten game this season.
Tagovailoa posted the greatest statistical season of any quarterback in Maryland history, setting the Terrapin single-season records for both passing yards (3,595) and completions (308). The junior completed 68.4 percent of his passes and threw for 24 touchdowns. Tagovailoa ranks Top Three in the Big Ten in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, completions, total offense (302.8) and 300-yard passing games (7). He boasts seven of the Top 30 passing games in the Big Ten this season.
In all, 11 Terps earned All-Big Ten honors this season as Maryland won six games to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016.
The Terps will learn their bowl destination on Sunday, Dec. 5.