Maryland Professional Athletes

Three Maryland alumni found themselves in NFL headlines during the final week of the 2026 preseason — for very different reasons.

Akingbesote Lands in Jacksonville

Tommy Akingbesote has a job. The Jaguars signed the Maryland defensive tackle on Sunday, simultaneously waiving cornerback Devon Marshall to clear the roster spot. It's a notable moment for Akingbesote, who now enters the cut-down weekend with a foothold in Jacksonville. Whether he survives to the 53-man roster remains to be seen, but the signing keeps him in the league conversation heading into the regular season.

Jones' Vikings Future Clouded by Suspension

Jeshaun Jones is facing a turbulent start to his season in Minnesota. The Vikings wide receiver was issued a three-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy — a significant blow to a player already fighting for a roster spot. Per multiple reports, Jones is permitted to participate in the remainder of the preseason before his suspension kicks in on August 30, meaning he'll suit up one final time before going inactive for Weeks 1 through 3.

The timing couldn't be worse. Jones must first survive final roster cuts — with the Vikings trimming to 53 — and then wait out the suspension before he can contribute. Even if Minnesota keeps him, his debut will be pushed to at minimum Week 4. It's a difficult position for a receiver who needed a strong camp showing to cement his place on the depth chart.

Banks Drawing Praise in East Rutherford

On a more encouraging note, Deonte Banks is generating buzz in Giants camp. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson was among the coaches to speak positively about the cornerback's progress during training camp, a sign that the former Maryland standout is continuing to develop within New York's system. Banks, entering a pivotal year, has the talent to be a cornerstone of the Giants secondary — and the coaching staff appears to be seeing exactly that in practice.

The Giants' defensive backfield has been a focal point this camp, and Banks' name coming up in coordinator comments is a meaningful indicator of where he stands in the pecking order heading into the regular season.

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Three Terps, three very different trajectories as the NFL regular season approaches. Akingbesote is scratching for a roster spot in Jacksonville, Jones is navigating a suspension that could define — or derail — his Minnesota tenure, and Banks is quietly making a case to be one of the better young corners in the NFC East. The 2026 season is about to sort out the rest.

Diggs Brings Veteran Presence to Washington

Stefon Diggs isn't just another receiver in the Commanders' receiver room — he's a seasoned quarterback whisperer. According to CBS Sports, Diggs has a track record of elevating young signal-callers wherever he's landed, and Washington is banking on that dynamic to accelerate Jayden Daniels' sophomore development. The fit looks natural on paper: Diggs is a polished route runner with the kind of situational football IQ that young quarterbacks lean on, and Daniels is entering a pivotal year with playoff expectations mounting in D.C.

Fellow Terrapin Nick Cross is also in the Commanders' camp picture, drawing a Q&A feature in a Yahoo Sports film breakdown of Washington's roster. Cross, a safety out of College Park, is competing for snaps in a secondary that will need to hold its own in what projects to be a high-stakes NFC East season.

Still Grinding His Way Back in L.A.

In Los Angeles, Tarheeb Still's return to practice is the kind of quiet-but-meaningful camp development that often predicts real-season roster outcomes. The Chargers cornerback had missed six consecutive sessions before returning in limited fashion, per Yahoo Sports. Still's health matters — Los Angeles's secondary depth will be tested early, and getting their former Maryland standout back on the field, even cautiously, is a net positive for their camp evaluation process.

Banks' Camp Battle Turns Complicated

Deonte Banks has been one of the more closely watched Maryland products in this camp cycle, but his path to a Giants resurgence hit a speed bump this week. Yahoo Sports reported that Banks was flagged for a pair of penalties during camp, complicating what had been a promising trajectory heading into the summer. The third-year cornerback was expected to compete for a starting role in New York's revamped secondary, but undisciplined penalties — even in practice — are the kind of recurring narrative that can shift a coaching staff's trust meter. Banks has the talent; the question now is whether he can clean up the mistakes before depth chart decisions get made.

The Bigger Maryland Picture

The Terrapin pipeline into the NFL remains one of the more underappreciated in college football. From Diggs providing mentorship-level value in Washington to Still fighting back from injury in L.A. to Banks navigating the pressure of a make-or-break camp in New York, Maryland alumni are distributed across meaningful roster battles league-wide.

No other school in this week's camp cycle had three alumni generating individual storylines across three separate franchises. Whether it's Diggs steering a QB development arc, Still clawing back from six missed practices, or Banks needing to tighten his game, the common thread is competition — which is exactly where Maryland alumni tend to show up.

This content is AI-generated by FanDaily.

Three Terrapins are turning heads this NFL preseason — and two of them are doing it in the same city where they grew up watching football.

Diggs Comes Home to Washington

The biggest Maryland alumni story of the week belongs to Stefon Diggs, who signed with the Washington Commanders in 2026 free agency and has wasted zero time making an impression. The College Park product — a Maryland native who starred for the Terps before becoming one of the NFL's premier wideouts — is back in his hometown, and the early returns are exactly what Washington hoped for.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn heaped praise on Diggs after the signing, and it's easy to see why. Diggs tormented Miami's defensive backs throughout Washington's joint practice, flashing the sharp route-running and reliability that have defined his career. CBS Sports noted he's already looking like a missing piece for second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels — a pairing that makes schematic sense given Diggs' track record of elevating the QBs he plays with.

Fantasy markets agree: Diggs shot up ADP charts the moment the ink dried, per Yahoo Sports. The offseason roster news wasn't all positive in Washington — an injury to Laremy Tunsil has split fan sentiment — but Diggs' arrival gives Daniels a legitimate No. 1 threat and the Commanders offense a new dimension heading into 2026.

Fellow Terrapin and tight end Chig Okonkwo also figures into Washington's plans, flagged as a key player to watch in joint practices as the Commanders sort out their preseason roster.

Moore Already Changing Buffalo's Offense

Up in Buffalo, DJ Moore is giving Bills fans something to get excited about. Moore connected with Josh Allen three times for 61 yards in Buffalo's 29-14 preseason win over Carolina, and that's only the surface of what the Sporting News is calling a "difference-maker" impact.

Moore isn't just adding to the Bills' receiving corps — he's reportedly reshaping it. Buffalo is expected to deploy him in an expanded role that shifts how multiple players around him are used, giving Allen a new chess piece in what's already one of the AFC's most dangerous offenses. The Maryland alum who spent years as a foundational piece in Chicago now arrives in Buffalo with something to prove and a legitimate shot at a deep postseason run.

Teammate Ty Johnson, another Terrapin, also remains on Buffalo's roster as a backup running back, keeping the Maryland pipeline to western New York intact.

Cowart Adds Veteran Depth to Washington's D-Line

Rounding out the Terps trio is Byron Cowart, who re-enters the NFL picture with the Washington Commanders as a veteran depth signing along the defensive line. A Maryland product who has been in the league since 2019, Cowart provides experience and familiarity with the trenches for a Commanders defense building toward contention. It's a lower-profile move than Diggs' arrival, but the kind of smart roster construction that teams making playoff pushes rely on.

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Three alumni. Two franchises. One preseason week that's quietly one of the better stretches Maryland football has had in the NFL in years. Diggs and Moore — two of the more gifted receivers to come out of College Park — are positioned as genuine difference-makers on teams with legitimate postseason aspirations. That's not a coincidence. That's a program.

Stefon Diggs Is Back in the DMV — and He's Not Being Modest About It

Stefon Diggs didn't just sign with the Washington Commanders. He came home.

The four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and Maryland Terrapins alum agreed to terms with Washington in free agency this week, capping a courtship that reportedly included the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Raiders — all of whom connected with Diggs before he ultimately chose D.C., per ESPN's Adam Schefter on the Pat McAfee Show.

The fit makes sense on every level. Diggs grew up in the DMV, played his college ball at College Park, and now slots into one of the more exciting offenses in the NFC alongside second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels and veteran wideout Terry McLaurin. His reaction to the roster he's joining? "They got a lot of talent," Diggs told Fox Sports — and then, characteristically, he didn't stop there.

"I can't write a better story," Diggs said, per Yahoo Sports. Asked where he stands among receivers in the league, he didn't hedge: "In my heart," he told Bleacher Report, "I'm the best WR1 in the NFL."

It's the kind of quote that will either age brilliantly or badly — but for a Washington fan base that has spent years waiting for this offense to break through, the swagger is welcome. Diggs wasted little time making an impression in the locker room either, drawing attention for a hilarious compliment directed at Commanders rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams during his first week of camp, per Bleacher Report.

He debuted a new jersey number at his first practice after officially signing, a moment captured on video by the team.

The addition reshapes the NFC East conversation. Washington's receiver room — already featuring McLaurin — now has a proven, high-volume target with playoff pedigree. FanSided noted the Diggs signing could give the Commanders a meaningful edge in what figures to be another tight NFC East race.

More Terps in Camp

Diggs isn't the only Maryland alum making noise in Washington. Tight end Chig Okonkwo and safety Nick Cross both appeared in Commanders training camp media availability this week, with Cross addressed directly by head coach Dan Quinn in a camp session covered by Yahoo Sports. Okonkwo also took part in a separate media session alongside Quinn during the fourth day of camp.

Across the league, cornerback Deonte Banks finds himself in a legitimate starting battle at New York Giants training camp after two difficult seasons, per Yahoo Sports. The former first-round pick is facing the kind of pivotal camp that could define the trajectory of his career — with the Eli Apple comparison already being floated as a cautionary tale to avoid, per Yahoo Sports.

One Terp did receive tough news: safety Darnell Savage was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers after the team signed Rayshawn Jenkins to a one-year deal, per Yahoo Sports.

From a homecoming signing that's already dominating the NFL news cycle to a scattered but active cohort of Terps across the league, Maryland's NFL footprint is wide heading into the 2026 season.