Last month it was reported that running back Jacquille Veii, a pass-catching threat out of the backfield, had decided to leave the Terrapins. A month later, the Terps’ passing game has taken another hit.
Citing a source with knowledge of the situation, Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun is reporting that Marcus Leak has withdrawn from school due to personal reasons. In May of 2013, Leak left under similar circumstances, although he ultimately returned.
It’s unclear if a return is in the cards this time around as well.
Last season, Leak was third on the team in receptions (20) and receiving yards (297), while he was second in receiving touchdowns (three). With Leak’s departure, the Terps won’t return their top four in receiving yards from the 2014 season: Stefon Diggs (792, early entry into NFL draft), Deon Long (575, expired eligibility) and Veii (230).
Those four departures mean that the leading returning receiver in terms of yards is Amba Etta-Tawo (222). The leading returning receiver in receptions is running back Wes Brown (21). The good news for the Terps is that Levern Jacobs, the team’s leading receiver in 2013, is returning from an injury that cost him most of the 2014 season.
Leak’s departure comes one day after Maryland announced the addition of quarterback Daxx Garman as a graduate transfer.