Maryland Football: 2026 NFL Draft Recap and Terps UDFA Signings

The 2026 NFL Draft came and went last weekend, with teams making a grand total of 257 selections over the course of the emotional three-day event. Just one of those picks was a Maryland Terrapins football prospect. That was the lowest number of Terps taken in the league’s annual selection show since 2021, with safety Jalen Huskey the lone representative drafted this cycle.

Maryland Football: Jalen Huskey Lone Terp in 2026 NFL Draft Class

After an impressive individual 2025 season, Huskey was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the final pick of the third round, No. 100 overall. That selection made him the eighth Maryland defensive back drafted in the past eight years.

Despite not participating in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, Huskey improved his draft stock during interviews and with an impressive Pro Day, sneaking into day two of the draft. The Jaguars should be ecstatic getting a player with Huskey’s high football IQ and instincts at the safety position. The former Terps defensive stalwart will compete with veterans Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson, as well as 2025 third-round pick Caleb Ransaw, for snaps in the Jacksonville secondary rotation.

Maryland Terrapins UDFA Signings

Huskey may have been the only Maryland player to hear his name called during the draft. However, several Terps quickly signed free agent deals or were invited to tryouts and rookie mini-camps this summer; all hungry to compete for spots on their respective NFL team’s final 53-man rosters and practice squads:

• WR Jalil Farooq (Ravens)

Farooq spent his first four years at Oklahoma before transferring to Maryland for his final season. In 2025, Farooq led the Terrapins offense in receptions, racking up 58 catches for 545 yards to go along with four touchdowns. Like every undrafted rookie, Farooq will have an uphill battle to make Baltimore’s final roster in a crowded wide receiver room that features star Zay Flowers as well as two new 2026 draft picks in Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. If Farooq can find a way make his name on special teams, he may just have a chance to stick.

• WR Octavian Smith Jr. (Ravens)

Smith played four years at Maryland, a rarity in the current college football landscape. There, he accumulated 107 receptions for 1,210 yards and five touchdowns during his career. Smith is also a long shot to be on Baltimore’s final 53-man roster due to a currently jam-packed Ravens receiver room. Like his college teammate, Smith will very likely need to make a significant mark on special teams to increase his odds of earning a spot.

• OL Alan Herron (Saints)

Herron was one of two Terps to be invited to this year’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Despite going undrafted, he signed with New Orleans shortly after the final day concluded. Herron started every game over the last two seasons at right tackle for the Terrapins after transferring in from Division-II Shorter University, earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades in 2025. The former Maryland offensive lineman was one of 30 pre-draft visits to the Saints’ team facility. Herron signed a sizable deal for an undrafted free agent that includes a $25,000 signing bonus and guarantees $272,500 of his three-year contract, New Orleans clearly coveted him as a prospect.

• WR Shaleak Knotts (Vikings)

Knotts spent his first three years with the Terrapins as a rotational receiver before breaking out in his senior season. In 2025, Knotts led Maryland in receiving yards and touchdowns, totaling 44 receptions for 717 yards and six scores. Knotts joins a talented Minnesota wide receiver room that includes superstar Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as former Terps teammate Tai Felton. The slender 6-foot-3 speedster ran scorching 40-yard dash times of 4.32 and 4.34 seconds at his Pro Day, and could surprise some by slipping onto the Viking’s final roster as a developmental deep threat despite his undrafted status.