Joseph Bearns is a 6’ 2”, 245-pound tight end from Baltimore, MD. The player joined the Maryland Terrapins in February 2020, ranking as the No. 75 tight end in the 2021 class and the No. 39 player in the state of Maryland.
The player is a potent blocker capable of playing the fullback position. His versatility and physique also allow him to play H-back or tight end.
Last season Bearns appeared in 11 games and was a starter in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against NC State. His role with the team was more of a blocking fullback, and on a few occasions, he was seen landing impressive blows at defenders in goal-line situations.
It was recently announced that the player joined the transfer portal, a hard hit to the program that has seen a talent drain in recent months.
Many veteran names on the transfer portal
The Maryland football program has seen many veterans put their names on the transfer portal.
Keep in mind that the transfer portal allows student-athletes to place their name in an online database declaring their desire to transfer. Athletes who enter the portal must inform their current school of their desire to move, and the school has two business days to enter the athlete’s name in the database.
Once an athlete’s name is entered into the database, coaches, and staff from other schools are permitted to contact the athlete to inquire about their interest in visiting the campus and accepting a scholarship. Last month Maryland football’s defensive line lost Tank Booker, who decided to add his name to the portal. Booker, a 6’ 4”, 320-pound rising senior, notched 25 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection this past season. So far, the reason why Booker decided to leave the program is unknown, and he only left the following message on Twitter.
“Coach Locks, thanks for believing in this kid from Ohio! You afforded me the opportunity to be a part of a special family. You introduced me to an incredible mentor and helped me earn my Bachelor’s Degree in a little over three years! Can’t forget the consecutive winning seasons and two bowl championships. Thank you! Special thanks to coach Brian Williams and the Dline room. I can’t express how much you all mean to me.”
C.J. Dippre and Weston Wolff, who joined the program at the same time as Bearns, have also left via transfer, and last week, offensive linemen Coltin Deery and Keon Kindred, and punter Joseph Pecorella entered the portal.
Deery had high expectations within the team as he was expected to compete for a central role.
Is there a crisis in Maryland Football?
The Maryland football team has seen a significant number of players place their names on the transfer portal in recent weeks. While some may see this as a sign of crisis within the program, there is no need to panic just yet. In fact, this could be an opportunity for the team to make some positive changes.
One reason for the increase in transfers may simply be due to the changing landscape of college football. With new rules allowing athletes more freedom to transfer without penalty, it’s easier than ever for players to explore their options and find a better fit elsewhere. The same is the case with Maryland bettors, who have more opportunities to explore and take advantage of codes and promotions such as the BetMGM Bonus code Maryland.
Rather than viewing these departures as signs of trouble, Maryland can use them as an opportunity to reassess its strategies and goals moving forward. For example, Terps coach Mike Locksley is pleased with what he saw in the final scrimmage before the spring game.
“We got into a pretty good rhythm, where the play calls were coming in, guys were getting lined up a lot cleaner, you’re getting the ball snapped in that 24 to 28-second play clock window that we want to get it snapped in.
I thought our defense did a better job tackling this scrimmage. Leading into our spring game, this is really how I wanted to see us play there in the shell,” Locksley said. “Improvement from a week ago to this week, we got a lot of good situations coached up, whether it’s our coming-out situations, our third-down, I just thought overall it was really productive and has us heading in the right direction as we finish up spring ball.”