Tahj Capehart Flips Commitment to Maryland from Virginia Tech

Wide receiver Tahj Capehart pulled a national signing day shocker Wednesday, as he flipped his commitment from Virginia Tech to Maryland. 

Capehart made the announcement in the following tweet:

He previously committed to play for the Hokies in August:

"

This Is HOME‼️ #HokieNation  pic.twitter.com/MksbKBZ2Ss

— TCSZN ➰ (@Tahj__) August 6, 2016"

According to Scout.com, Capehart is a 4-star recruit who ranks as the No. 298 overall prospect, No. 44 wideout and No. 1 receiver from the state of Virginia.

Following Capehart's announcement, Maryland basketball star Melo Trimble welcomed him to the school, as seen in this video, courtesy of Maryland Football:

The flip came as a surprise primarily since Capehart is a Virginia Beach, Virginia, native who had initially opted to stay close to home.

Virginia Tech is also coming off a 10-4 season, while Maryland went just 6-7 in its first campaign under head coach D.J. Durkin.

The Hokies could be in for a tough 2017, however, as quarterback Jerod Evans declared early for the 2017 NFL draft, which leaves VT with some question marks under center.

With Perry Hills graduating, though, the Terrapins could have issues at the position as well.

Capehart is a speedy, dynamic playmaker, and his presence should be hugely beneficial to a Maryland team that ranked just 88th in the nation in scoring last season.

The Terps' leading receiver, D.J. Moore, had just 637 yards in 2016, which suggests the door is open for Capehart to earn immediate playing time and to become a key part of the offense quickly.

Maryland has a long way to go before it can truly compete with the elite teams of the Big Ten, but Capehart is the type of talent capable of helping the Terrapins close the gap.