3 Maryland football players end careers for medical reasons

Three Maryland football players — defensive lineman Cam Spence, wide receiver Chris Jones and linebacker Nnamdi Egbuaba — have ended their college careers due to medical reasons, Terps head coach Mike Locksley announced Monday.

While Spence and Jones will stay with the team as student assistants, Egbuaba will complete his master’s degree in supply chain management.

As far as Maryland’s depth goes, Spence’s departure couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Terps. After not appearing in any game action during his first two years on the roster due to injuries, the redshirt sophomore was expected to be a rotational player for Maryland’s defensive line, which is the position with the most question marks entering fall camp.

Spence made the announcement Monday night in his own words, acknowledging that he had been rehabilitating from double knee cartilage replacements.

Spence played his first two years of high school locally at Gilman in Baltimore, then spent his junior year at IMG Academy and returned to the DMV for his senior year at St. John’s. The 247Sports Composite ranked him as a four-star defensive tackle and the No. 3 player in D.C.

Jones, who attended DeMatha Catholic High School, was a three-star prospect in the 2014 class. He originally committed to Wisconsin but never played for the Badgers after he failed to meet the school’s standards. The Baltimore native made his way back home to the Terps in 2016 as a walk-on after helping Iowa Western CC finish with a 10-2 record.

With his redefined role on Maryland’s staff, Jones will have the opportunity to continue working with his former high school coach and current Maryland running backs coach Elijah Brooks.

Of the three departures, Egbuaba had the biggest impact on the field for the Terps. Through his four years in the program, he appeared in 27 games and totaled 13 tackles, including eight tackles during his senior campaign in 2018.

In 2012, Egbuaba moved to the U.S. from Nigeria to play as an international student at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. The redshirt senior was expected to bring a veteran presence to Maryland’s linebacker corps this season. Recently converted defensive back Tahj Capehart will now wear Egbuaba’s No. 31.

Tight end Andrew Park had previously been removed from the roster after an injury-filled career of his own. These departures make four in the last week, with cornerback Ken Montgomery entering the transfer portal for personal reasons.

In other news

It’s Specialists Week here at Testudo Times, and we started the week off by looking at Joseph Petrino and Maryland’s kicking game.

Sean took a dive into what we can expect from Maryland’s new-look offensive and defensive schemes this season.

Former Terps All-American heavyweight wrestler Youssif Hemida will compete internationally for the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club.

Maryland women’s golf welcomed Kelly Hovland as an assistant coach Monday. She previously served as an associate head coach at Navy for the previous seven seasons and helped them capture their first team title this past season.

Former Maryland defensive lineman Yannick Ngakoue ended his holdout with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday after not receiving a new deal. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero had previously reported in July that Ngakoue turned down a short-term deal of $19 million per year with $50 million over the first two years.

And we can’t forget about our friends over at WMUC Sports. Thomas Hindle did a deep dive into what Hofstra transfer Luke Brown will bring to the Maryland men’s soccer team this season.