Former Timber Creek Star Tarheeb Still Making an Immediate Impact at Maryland
It has been a rough time for many college football programs, attempting to play games with so many players sidelined due to COVID protocol.
The University of Maryland has had four games canceled in this abbreviated season, but that was still enough time for a South Jersey product to enjoy a standout season.
Maryland true freshman cornerback Tarheeb Still, a 2020 graduate of Timber Creek, has made the adjustment from competing in South Jersey to starting in the Big 10.
That is no easy feat, but Still made it look that way.
Maryland ended 2-3 and Still participated in four games, all starts, but he not only made his coaches take notice of his play, but others in the Big 10 as well.
Still entered this past week leading the nation in pass breakups per game. He had eight pass breakups in four games.
During a 27-24 overtime loss to Rutgers, Still had four pass breakups, the most in the Big 10 this year and most by a Maryland freshman in 31 years since Scott Rosen recorded four.
The 6-foot-1, 182-pound Still has been part of one of the youngest teams in the country, but one that has shown great improvement after a 3-9 season a year ago.
Maryland has the 11th youngest team in the country and the youngest in the Big Ten by percentage of underclassmen on the roster with 63.6 percent of the 118 athletes being freshmen or sophomores.
So this is a program on the rise and Still is among the young players at the forefront. In addition to his pass breakups, he has also been a sure tackler, with four or more tackles in each of his four games.
At Timber Creek, Still was just as much known for his offensive skills as defensive. He had 124 career receptions for 2,533 yards and 17 touchdowns.
As a senior he had 62 receptions for 1,335 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He was also a standout on defense. In 11 games for Timber Creek, which went 7-4 during Still’s senior year, he had 36 tackles and three interceptions.
No matter how much a player dominates in high school, there is usually an adjustment at the next level, especially in a conference as decorated as the Big Ten.
Another of his first-year highlights was during a 35-19 win at Penn State. Still contributed four tackles and two pass breakups.
Keep in mind, that if he wants, Still would have four years of eligibility remaining. That’s because the NCAA ruled that this season would not count on a player’s eligibility due to all the problems associated with COVID.
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So he has a bright future. It’s been quite a debut for Still very quickly established himself as one of the impressive young players in the Big Ten.
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So he has a bright future. It’s been quite a debut for Still very quickly established himself as one of the impressive young players in the Big Ten.
© SouthJersey.com 2020. All rights reserved. This article or parts thereof may not be reprinted or reproduced by any other party without the express written consent of SouthJersey.com. For more information, please call 856-797-9910.
To receive special deals directly from SouthJersey.com, subscribe here.
For more Local Sports features, visit our South Jersey Sports page.
Author: Marc Narducci; Photo Courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics
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