Gophers preparing for 'one of the best' receivers in college football

Minnesota's talented secondary will face another tough test this week against Maryland.

Sep 21, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton (10) in action before a game against the Villanova Wildcats at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Gophers will welcome star Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton to Huntington Bank Stadium this weekend. He ranks fifth in the country and leads the Big Ten with 803 receiving yards the season.

Minnesota's pass defense has performed at an elite level, allowing only 139.6 yards per game, which ranks fourth in the nation. Maryland's pass offense ranks ninth nationally with 313.3 yards per game, setting the stage for a dynamic battle between two high-end units.

"It's hard to sit there and say who is the best, but he's one of the best that we've faced, with all due respect to all of the wideouts that we've faced leading up to him." Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said Monday when asked about Felton. "They don't only have him, they got two others that are really, really good."

Listed at 6-foot-2, 181 pounds, Felton has shown four-year development like an old-school college football player. He's played his entire career with the Terrapins and blossomed into one of the best pass catchers in the country, setting career highs in catches and yards only seven games into the season.

Felton leads the Terrapins with 64 catches and six touchdowns on top of his 803 yards, but senior Kaden Prather has added 461 yards and tight end Dylan Wade has 17 catches for 226 yards this season.

"No. 10 (Felton) gets targeted more than probably all of them, but they all can beat you and they all can have very similar skill sets," Fleck said. "They can contort their bodies, make back-shoulder catches, win the one-on-one matchups, find spots in zones, play big, play small, they can do it all. Their catch radius is ridiculous."

Under head coach Mike Locksley, Maryland has routinely had one of the better passing offenses in the Big Ten since he arrived in 2019. After replacing longtime quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, Billy Edwards Jr. has begun to find his rhythm under center after passing for a career-high 373 yards last week against USC.

"The quarterback extends plays, that's one of the most dangerous parts," Fleck said. "Everything breaks down and he can extend the play. Really good thrower on the run. He's a really good athlete that finds a way to get the ball to the open receivers. If they're not open he allows them to go make a play on the ball and give them a 50-50 ball. They're making catches more than they're not on those 50-50 balls."

Back-to-back losses to Indiana and Northwestern caused people to sour on Maryland's outlook, but after knocking off USC they are right back in the mix to play in a bowl game for the fourth straight season.

It's homecoming weekend for Minnesota and the game kicks off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT.