Maryland RB Tayon Fleet-Davis declares for 2022 NFL draft; CB Jakorian Bennett, OL Spencer Anderson returning

Redshirt senior running back Tayon Fleet-Davis announced Thursday that he is going pro, becoming the fourth Terps player to declare for the 2022 NFL draft.

Fleet-Davis led Maryland with 128 carries for a career-high 721 yards and eight touchdowns this season and caught 32 passes for 305 yards and one score. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Oxon Hill native saved his best for last, rushing for a career-best 152 yards on 18 carries in a 40-16 win over Rutgers on Nov. 27 that clinched bowl eligibility for the Terps for the first time since 2016. He ended his college career with 1,336 rushing yards, 549 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns.

Fleet-Davis joins tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo and safeties Nick Cross and Jordan Mosley in the 2022 NFL draft class.

Earlier Monday, Okonkwo announced that he has been invited to the 2022 NFL scouting combine. Okonkwo had 52 receptions for 447 yards with a team-best five touchdowns in 2021, the second most receptions by a tight end in program history (Frank Wycheck, 58, 1990) and the most receiving yards by a Maryland tight end since Vernon Davis had 871 in 2005.

The combine will be held at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis again this year from March 1-7. The league is revising some of its scouting combine drills to better simulate game-related movement. Wide receivers and tight ends will run crossing routes instead of wheel routes, and running backs will run option routes instead of corner and post-corner routes.

CB Jakorian Bennett, OL Spencer Anderson returning

Maryland senior cornerback Jakorian Bennett is returning for an extra season of eligibility, giving the Terps a key piece in a secondary that is losing its top two safeties to the NFL draft.

Bennett led all Power Five players with 16 pass breakups this season, the most by a Terp since Domonique Foxworth had 22 in 2003. He also recorded a team-high three interceptions.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Spencer Anderson decided to return to Maryland for his senior year after considering entering the NFL draft. The 6-5, 330-pound Bowie native earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2021. Fellow offensive linemen Johari Branch and Jaelyn Duncan also decided to return, giving the Terps their top six options heading into the 2022 season.

Wide receiver Dontay Demus and defensive lineman Ami Finau have also said they will return in 2022.