CJ Brown Tears ACL, Maryland QB Situation Gets Dire

Randy Edsall went all-in on CJ Brown when he inserted him as Maryland’s starting quarterback ahead of 2010 Freshman All-American Danny O’Brien, but the river card may have busted the Terrapins. Brown tore his ACL in non-contact workouts Wednesday, which leaves UM in dire straits at his position.

Behind Brown on the depth chart are true freshmen Caleb Rowe and Perry Hills, neither of whom arrived in College Park with much fanfare. Per SBNation Recruiting:

And Rowe? This comes from Testudo Times:

Last season playing musical chairs between Brown and O’Brien, the Terrapins averaged 23.08 points per game, No. 87 in the Bowl Subdivision. The Terrapins also ranked No. 75 in passing offense. Neither Brown nor O’Brien was terribly effective as UM limped to a 2-10 finish in Edsall’s first year. O’Brien struggled in the changes from James Franklin as offensive coordinator, to Gary Crowton. He threw 10 interceptions to just seven touchdowns and completed 56.4 percent of his attempts.

Brown failed to crack a 50 percent completion rate or 1000 yards passing, but better fit Crowton’s vision as a capable rusher. That rushing ability was chronicled in a recent Associated Press report with some unfortunate foreshadowing. The piece, entitled “Maryland QB CJ Brown won’t play it safe,” includes the following:

"It is a trait that makes him susceptible to injury, and the last thing the Terrapins need is to lose the only quarterback on the roster with playing experience."

Edsall replaced Crowton in the off-season with celebrated recruiter and former New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley, the Terrapins’ third offensive coordinator in as many seasons.

Locksley brought with him quarterback transfer Ricardo Young, originally a Virginia Tech recruit who went to New Mexico but had to sit out a season per NCAA transfer rules. Young will not be eligible again this season.

The loss of Brown compounds the mounting offensive challenges facing the Terps. Last season’s leading rusher, Davin Meggett, exhausted his eligibility. And with Brown now unavailable, UM’s leading returning rusher is third down-style back Justus Pickett. He had 274 yards on 74 carries a season ago.