Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa (3) - Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The East-West Shrine Bowl is here and a couple of former Maryland players will be participating. This bowl will give collegiate players another chance to showcase their abilities on the field to increase their draft stock. This is a great opportunity for these players who accepted their invitation. The East-West Shrine Bowl will take place this Thursday, February 1st. The full roster can be found here. Here is a look at the former Maryland players participating this week.
Maryland Players Participating
Four former Maryland players are participating in the East-Shrine Bowl on Thursday. Two will play for the West and two for the East. Here is a look at the players, first the two on the West, followed by the two on the East.
Ja’Quan Sheppard – DB – West
Terps’ defensive back, Ja’Quan Sheppard will be on the defensive side of the ball this week. Before joining Maryland, Sheppard played at Cincinnati. This was his first and only year with Maryland. In 2023, he was an honorable mention in the All-Big Ten selection, according to Maryland Athletics. While at Cincinnati, Sheppard primarily played safety, but he does play corner as well.
In his five years of collegiate football, Sheppard had 18 passes defended, 8.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks, according to Sports Reference. The one thing that he is missing is turnovers. He has never turned over the ball himself, not even a forced fumble. Participating this weekend will give him another chance to impress, and demonstrate why he should be in the NFL.
Taulia Tagovailoa – QB – West
Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa started as a freshman at Alabama, but spent most of his collegiate career with Maryland. Tagovailoa played well for the Terps, keeping them in a couple of close games, as well as breaking a couple of records. Tagovailoa played his final game with the Terps and attempted to get another year of eligibility. The NCAA denied the request, and now he is off to the NFL to join his brother, Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.
Tagovailoa did get playing time each of his five years, but it was not until his second year with Maryland that he played full seasons. In his five years, Tagovailoa completed 964 passes for 11,356 yards and 77 touchdowns, according to Sports Reference. In his three years playing a full season for Maryland, Tagovailoa reached over 3,000 yards. He has also rushed for 13 touchdowns. Tagovailoa may not be the top quarterback in this draft class, but he is still a solid player, and a team will pick him up.
Tarheeb Still – CB – East
Another defensive back participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl is Tarheeb Still. Still started with the team in 2020 as a freshman, and spent his entire collegiate career with the Terps. In 2023, Still made the Second Team All-Big Ten Selection. In his four seasons, Still had 21 passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and six interceptions, according to Sports Reference. Still also had nine tackles for loss and two sacks. Still will definitely be a name to watch for among not just the former Maryland players, but other defensive backs this week.
Gottlieb Ayedze – OT – East
Finally, offensive tackle, Gottlieb Ayedze will also be participating this week. Ayedze is an offensive lineman who played at Frostburg State for four years before joining Maryland in 2023. While at Frostburg, Ayedze was named AFCA First Team All-American and All-Mec First Team. With his playing experience, Ayedze is looking to take his next step in the NFL.
These four former Maryland players will be taking another step toward their professional careers. They will have a chance to work with coaches from the league and get to work with other players with various kinds of experiences. Be sure to watch them this week in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
For a look at the Penn State players participating, click here.
For the Iowa Hawkeyes players participating, click here.
