How Nigel King's transfer impacts Maryland in 2014 and 2015

Nigel King, Maryland's reigning team leader in receiving touchdowns, was granted his release from the football program on Friday after he was declared a backup in the preseason depth chart just a week and a half prior. But what does his absence from the program mean to the present and future for the Terps?

Sure, he led the team with four touchdown receptions, but that stat is a bit misleading considering the season-ending injuries to Maryland's top aerial threats in Stefon Diggs and Deon Long halfway through the campaign. After the dynamic duo went down simultaneously in the Wake Forest game, King provided a consistent target for C.J. Brown and Caleb Rowe. With the duo of Diggs and Long back and poised for a full and healthy season, King's snaps would be greatly lessened as is.

Here's how the depth chart projected for this season, with King included:

Here's how it looks without him:

In terms of yards, King was fifth on the team behind Levern Jacobs, Diggs, Amba Etta-Tawo and Long. After taking a leave of absence from Maryland, Marcus Leak is back to add depth to the receiving corps and earned a starting spot on the edge according to the preseason depth chart. The release of King from the program also paves the way for redshirt freshman Taivon Jacobs, who has reportedly been very impressive throughout the preseason, to prove he belongs out wide as a fourth or fifth option.

Let's take a look at the projected 2015 depth chart, with and without King:

King wouldn't have been too great of a factor this upcoming season considering the depth at the position, but Maryland will miss his production most in the 2015 season. He was a heavy candidate to replace Long on the outside, and with Diggs likely to enter the draft after this season, King would have been one of the top dogs on the receiving front. With that being said, one of Maryland's strongest and most formidable positions is wide receiver and even looking ahead to the 2015 season, the Terps will be in great shape. Now, who will throw them the ball in 2015 is an entirely different debate.