The Maryland Terrapins got some bad news earlier this morning. Jeshaun Jones was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee after going down with an injury at practice on Monday.
Maryland football will be without one of its best offensive players this season.
The school announced today that Jeshaun Jones tore his ACL in training camp and will miss the 2019 season.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) August 6, 2019
Jones was Maryland’s leading returning receiver, and in 2018, he was the most productive freshman wide receiver the Terrapins have had since Stefon Diggs. Jones caught 22 passes for 288 yards and led the team with five receiving touchdowns, and he was expected to be the top option in the receiving corps this season.
The sophomore from Fort Myers made an immediate impact in his very first game in a Maryland jersey. The Terrapins were hefty underdogs going into their game against the Longhorns, but Jones was responsible for a touchdown on each of his first three touches. He scampered for a 28-yard rushing touchdown on Maryland’s first drive of the drive, then he followed that up by catching a 65-yard bomb for a touchdown on the Terps’ next drive. Jones wasn’t done there though, tossing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Taivon Jacobs midway through the second quarter.
Maryland's Jeshaun Jones is in rare air…
Last Instance of Pass TD, Rush TD, Rec TD in Same Game …
By Wide receiver – Pharoh Cooper (2014)
By Freshman – Marcus Mariota (2012)
vs Texas – Joey Harrington (2000)
In 1st career game – No one in at least last 20 seasons pic.twitter.com/XB10yxRedU
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 1, 2018
Jones was also a dynamic runner, racking up 173 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, so Maryland will need to find another player to replace his explosiveness.
Without Jones, Maryland will be looking for a new No. 1 receiver. Dontay Demus and DJ Turner are the two top returning receivers aside from Jones, but both players caught just 13 passes. Turner hasn’t done much over the course of his time in College Park, but Demus at least showed some sizzle in 2018. He averaged 21.4 yards per reception.
Underclassmen will see a lot of playing time. Turner is the only upperclassmen in the two-deep, and the Class of 2018 was loaded with wide receivers. True freshman Isaiah Hazel may make an impact too as Maryland’s second-highest rated recruit in the Class of 2019.
