Running back Jacquille Veii jukes to avoid a defender during the Terps’ loss to Michigan State on Nov. 15, 2014 at Byrd Stadium.
The Terrapins football team has granted running back Jacquille Veii a release to transfer, an athletic department spokesman said Tuesday.
Veii, a Gaithersburg native, split time at running back and slot wide receiver during his two years in College Park. He finished the 2014 season with 16 catches for 230 yards and gained 105 yards on 19 carries. Veii totaled three touchdowns his sophomore season.
The team announced Friday that running back Albert Reid and safety Zach Dancel would transfer, making Veii the third contributor to depart from coach Randy Edsall’s program this spring. Like Reid and Dancel, Veii is hoping to earn more playing time elsewhere.
Had Veii stayed in College Park, he likely would have competed against veterans Wes Brown and Brandon Ross for a spot in the backfield. Even if Veii would have moved out to play receiver, he would have been pitted against brothers Levern and Taivon Jacobs, among others, in a position battle at one of the team’s most crowded spots.
A shifty, 5-foot-9 speedster, Veii was originally recruited as a defensive back but earned his way onto the travel roster as a true freshman after impressing as a tailback. Edsall lauded Veii’s versatility this past season as the then-sophomore filled various roles on an offense designed around getting playmakers the ball in space.
The communication major has two years of eligibility remaining.
