COLLEGE PARK — Maryland football is less than two weeks away from its season opener against Connecticut on Aug. 31 at noon at SECU Stadium. As eager as the players, coaches and staff might be to kick off the season, they might have a competitor: Wale.

The 39-year-old rapper has attended every preseason practice at Jones-Hill Field House, often adorning a red Terps cap, black Terps pullover and matching black shorts.

“I’m probably more excited about the UConn game than they are,” said the Grammy Award nominee who is known for songs such as “Lotus Flower Bomb,” “Bad,” and “On Chill.” “I can’t wait to see another color.”

While Wale — a Washington native who grew up in Montgomery County — might join ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt as Maryland’s most famous celebrity fans, they are part of a larger network of high-profile supporters who have attached themselves to certain college football programs. Texas has actor Matthew McConaughey, Notre Dame hooked actor Vince Vaughn, and Florida International agreed earlier this month to a five-year, $6 million deal with hip-hop artist Pitbull to rename its venue “Pitbull Stadium.”

Even within the Big Ten, actor Will Ferrell and rapper Snoop Dogg root for Southern California, actor Ashton Kutcher cheers for Iowa, and basketball star LeBron James supports Ohio State. And on a grander scale, Snoop Dogg and fellow hip-hop artist Flava Flav were in Paris to celebrate every accomplishment by the U.S. Olympic team.

But to senior defensive end Taizse Johnson, who hails from Washington, Wale’s Q-rating is just as strong.

“When he first got here, I was starstruck,” Johnson said. “To see a guy from the area who not only has his popularity, but to see him be here and just be a regular guy even though he has all of this fame that comes with his name, he’s a regular person. He’s dapping everybody up and showing love to everybody. It’s like he’s another one of us, and it feels good that somebody of his caliber is treating us like we’re on the same level as him.”

Added coach Mike Locksley: “Having him around to show our players what he’s like, he’s a rock star. He’s here every day with these guys. Just as they’re going through camp, he’s going through it, too.”

Wale, whose birth name is Olubowale Akintimehin, called Washington home until he was 10 years old, when his family moved to Gaithersburg. Some of his earliest memories of Maryland football center around running back LaMont Jordan and coach Ralph Friedgen.

Like Jordan, Wale was a running back at Quince Orchard High in Gaithersburg. But when the time to choose a college destination came, he was not pursued by the Terps.

“There weren’t that many public school guys going to big schools around that time,” he reasoned. “They still were going obviously, but there weren’t that many.”

Wale played football at Robert Morris and then Virginia State. He also began to drift toward Miami but then came to a realization.

“I had to ask myself, ‘Why am I a Miami Hurricanes fan?’” he said. “It’s because of their culture. They were flashy, and they had an identity that I aligned myself with as a kid.”

So what changed? Wale points to Maryland’s decision to hire Locksley in 2019 to helm the program. Locksley also grew up in Washington, and Wale said he has been inspired by Locksley’s attitude and magnetism.

“I just think he’s what we need for the culture to change,” he said. “He’s learned under [former Alabama coach Nick] Saban, he grew up here, he knows the game, he’s a great motivator, he knows the X’s and O’s.”

Wale said he has spent a lot of time at practice watching Locksley interact with his players and has been impressed by their chemistry. Wale said he thinks Locksley’s connections with his players are the key to the Terps continuing to strengthen their recruiting base in Maryland, Virginia and Washington.

“He’s especially good at keeping kids in the area,” he said. “The older you get, you realize how important it is to represent where you’re from, and where else is better to do that than college football? We’ve seen Saban do it, we’ve seen [former Florida coach Steve] Spurrier do it, we’ve seen [former Georgetown basketball coach] John Thompson do it with their cultures. If that’s his goal and those are the guys he needs to attempt to do that, if he could do that here, I think that would be incredible because I can think of so many athletes for basketball, track and football that come from this area. If we can build that culture here, that would be great, and I think he’s the guy to do it.”

Locksley returned the favor, saying Wale is a similar example to the players.

“I think what he shows our guys is the power of Terpsville, the power of what this place is, the people you get to meet, the people you come across,” he said. “He’s authentic DMV. He was one of the first real rappers to get DMV rappers off the ground, and he’s back here and a lot like us where he’s trying to catch lightning in a bottle again.”

Wale has been a welcomed presence at practices even as he joked that Alana Tauber, Locksley’s executive assistant, is probably tired of his questions via text. Wale said he can’t help himself as being at practice rejuvenates him.

“I normally spend summers locked away in the studio or on tour,” he said. “But coming here definitely gives me something. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m excited to come every day and just gain that camaraderie with the staff. It’s been cool just to see these guys. I’m watching them mature in front of my eyes.”

Johnson said Wale’s attendance has affected the players.

“I would say it’s gratifying to see somebody of his stature be able to come into our culture,” he said. “If someone of his status is seeing something good in us, then we’re on the right track. So I feel really great about that.”