Linebacker Jefferson Ashiru during Maryland’s 35-17 win over USF at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium on Sept. 19, 2015.
Jefferson Ashiru was in a new city, getting ready to join a new program as a senior. But the first person to greet him was an old friend.
When Ashiru, a graduate transfer from Connecticut, landed at the airport in June, Terrapins football wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo was waiting for him. After a falling-out with the Huskies coaching staff, Ashiru was drawn to this university by a few familiar faces, including Etta-Tawo, a former high school teammate.
On the field, the outside linebacker had to adjust to the Terps’ defensive scheme, though. Each team has a different role for linebackers, Ashiru said, and he had to learn his new duties. But after a season-best nine tackles last week, Ashiru said he feels more comfortable.
With the growing confidence, Ashiru has started to become more vocal in a young linebacker unit.
“It’s been like an uphill battle for me, honestly, but I feel like this past week, it really clicked for me,” Ashiru said Tuesday. “I felt really in tune with the team.”
Ashiru’s nine tackles Saturday against South Florida tied for second most on the team. In the two previous games, he had a combined five.
While he’s the only upperclassman starter at linebacker and one of two on the two-deep roster, Ashiru didn’t want to step on any toes by speaking out of turn earlier this season. That began to change last Saturday.
“He’s starting to feel very comfortable with the guys at this point,” defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski said. “Anywhere we can get leadership or someone speaking up on our football team, we think it’s great.”
Since his arrival, Ashiru has leaned on Etta-Tawo as he’s acclimated to College Park. During practices, the two push each other with both encouragement and harsh words.
When Etta-Tawo makes a catch, Ashiru tells him, “That’s what I’m talking about.” But if the wideout falters, Ashiru tells him to pick it up. The messages go both ways.
Others have helped Ashiru along, too. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman JaJuan Dulaney starred with Ashiru and Etta-Tawo at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.
When Ashiru’s former teammates heard he was considering the Terps, they promised to keep him in the loop and talk with the coaches, some of whom he knew previously.
Head coach Randy Edsall had recruited Ashiru to UConn, although he left for the Terps before Ashiru’s first season. While Ashiru’s connection with Edsall helped, another coach played a larger role in bringing him in.
Terps defensive backs coach Darrell Perkins, who was an assistant coach with the Huskies from 2010 through 2013, was in contact with Ashiru before the Terps hired Perkins over the summer. So when he became part of the new coaching staff, he campaigned for Ashiru.
“I was trying to work through him, and then he ended up getting a job,” Ashiru said. “He’s the one that actually set it off from the beginning, helped me get to Maryland.”
When the former two-year starter for the Huskies joined the Terps, he wasn’t a guarantee to crack the starting front seven. On the preseason depth chart, Ashiru was listed in a position battle with Jalen Brooks.
But when Abner Logan, the starting outside linebacker opposite them, went down with an ACL injury, it opened the door for Ashiru. He’s started all three games so far, and he’ll be among the 11 starters trying to slow down West Virginia’s spread offense this Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia.
After last week’s performance, Edsall expects Ashiru to continue to improve as he familiarizes himself with the Terps defense. So far, Edsall is pleased with the linebacker’s progress.
“A guy who’s played as much football as he did prior to coming here, we expect him to get better,” Edsall said. “I think that he has.”
When the Huskies visited Morgantown in 2011, Ashiru was forced to watch from the sidelines during his redshirt campaign. He could’ve been on the sidelines again this year, but the combination of Logan’s injury and Ashiru’s play helped him earn a starting spot.
Now, alongside two former high school teammates, he will have a chance to impress in front of a sellout crowd.
“This is what I live for,” Ashiru said. “I can’t wait.”
