Jared Bernhardt intends to play lacrosse at Maryland during the upcoming spring season, a source confirmed to US Lacrosse Magazine’s Nelson Rice. 247Sports and Inside Lacrosse first reported the news.

The team later confirmed the report on Twitter.

A story unfinished,
A legacy unfulfilled,
And now, the final chapter begins.

Jared Bernhardt is for last ride at Maryland. pic.twitter.com/fiyUfttC6v

— Maryland Lacrosse (@TerpsMLax) December 28, 2020

The All-American attackman told 247Sports that he will return to campus in January. Bernhardt previously planned to spend his fifth year of eligibility playing football at Ferris State, a Division II powerhouse, and had even been in Michigan working out with the team. But after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the fall season (and all of Division II football), Bernhardt contemplated his athletic future and decided to return to the Terps.

In June, Bernhardt — a 2019 Tewaaraton finalist — told US Lacrosse Magazine that he was still unsure of what he’d do in the spring.

“I’ve talked to a lot of the alumni. They wish they could come back to school and do it again,” Bernhardt said at the time. “I don’t want to look back and say, ‘I should have done that.’ That’d definitely irritate me.”

In six games last season, Bernhardt tallied 20 goals and nine assists. His 191 career points rank ninth in Maryland history, and his 131 goals rank fifth. Matt Rambo holds both records, and a close-to-full season from Bernhardt in 2021 would likely see him eclipse both records.

Maryland, already a 2021 contender, is now thrust into the conversation as one of the top overall teams in the country. Bernhardt adds an explosive element to the Terps’ already talented offense, and although head coach John Tillman had been preparing his team for life after Bernhardt, it likely will only help that he’s returning.