Senior wide receiver Tai Felton has emerged as a catalyst for Maryland football, igniting the offense from the outside.
The Ashburn, Va., native began getting attention when he tallied 50 receptions for 1,050 yards and 13 touchdowns during his sophomore year at Stone Bridge High School in 2018. He arrived at College Park in 2021. It took a little time for him to get an opportunity to show what he could do, but he always remained confident in his abilities.
Now, Felton is considered one of the best receivers in the Big Ten. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound receiver has caught 27 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns. He had a career-high 11 receptions and 152 yards against Michigan State on Sept. 7.
“It’s a little bit of me going into every week being dedicated to get 1 percent better,” Felton said on Glenn Clark Radio Sept. 12. “I can always get better. There’s always mistakes we’re going to make throughout the week and in games and stuff. It’s just my dedication to win, to get better, and then I have a great team of guys who push me to get better.”
Felton first showcased his ability as a sophomore in 2022, when he appeared in all 13 games and recorded 23 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns. He had four receptions for 69 yards in Maryland’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl win against NC State. He was also had three catches for 57 yards in a win against Rutgers and notched two receptions for 46 yards against Ohio State.
Last season as a junior, Felton led the team in receptions (48), receiving yards (723) and receiving touchdowns (6). His most impressive performance came in a win at Rutgers, where he caught five passes for 140 yards.
Felton’s mindset has positioned him as a leader in the team. Now a senior, he embraces the added responsibility of fueling the team with energy and focus on and off the field. Felton plays an active role in shaping the team’s mentality week by week.
“Me being a senior is definitely big,” Felton said. “I’m one of the oldest guys in the receiving room now, I’m one of the oldest guys in the team now so I know a lot of guys are looking up to me, so me setting an example on and off the field such as going to class and getting extra catches after practice, all of that matters.”
It is very clear to see that under head coach Michael Locksley, the program has been going in the right direction in recent years. Felton has taken to heart the motto, “The practice is the show and the show is practice.”
“We still have a lot more work to put in, but we also have a lot more games to play,” Felton said. “We’re not going to let one week or a couple mistakes in a game put us underground and have us moping about it.”
Felton became the first Big Ten player this century to record at least 330 receiving yards and three touchdown catches in the first two games of a season. He is also the first Terp to ever post 100-plus receiving yards in the first three games of a season.
“It’s just me wanting to do it for my guys,” Felton said. “I put in a lot of work with this team and the culture, the player-led-driven culture that we have built throughout this offseason. It’s just me wanting to do my job and me wanting to do it for my brother next to me.”
For more from Felton, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox