Can the Maryland Terrapins Reach 8 Wins in First Big Ten Season if Healthy?

Offense

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley has built up a very solid spread offense at Maryland focusing on mobility and accuracy at quarterback and incredible skill players. Every starter and backup at those positions is returning, and all of them have seen significant in-game action. The lingering problem will be whether not they can stay healthy.

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At quarterback, sixth-year senior C.J. Brown is the perfect person to lead Maryland into its inaugural Big Ten season. He’s mobile, very efficient, and tough. Despite missing two games due to injury last year, Brown managed 2,242 passing yards and 736 rushing yards to go along with 25 total touchdowns. However, he only had 13 passing touchdowns to go along with 22 sacks, which will have to be improved upon. The biggest question surrounding him is durability. Can he stay healthy all year after missing the entire 2012 season and two games last year? If not, the good news is Perry Hills is finally back after redshirting all of last year following a season-ending injury of his own in 2012, and he’ll be able to step in and fill Brown’s shoes fine. If that doesn’t work, junior Caleb Rowe also has experience, and then Edsall could always turn to Shane Cockerille or Will Ulmer.

The running game is probably the most certain part of this unit. Brandon Ross is back for his junior year and should be much better this year with more certainty in the passing game. True, he only managed 776 yards and 4 touchdowns on a 166 carries, but he had to nearly split his reps with Brown, who carries the ball often in short-yardage situations in addition to being able to run on a passing play. Brown and Ross will be valuable, but perhaps the most exciting asset for the running game is the return of running back Wes Brown after a 2013 suspension. The 4-star on Rivals from back in 2012 had 382 yards on only 90 carries as a freshman and could be a breakout player this year. Brown, Brown, and Ross will make for a three-headed monster in the running game.

While the running game may be the most certain unit, the wide receivers are by far the deepest and most talented bunch collectively of any unit on the team. Obviously we have to start with Stefon Diggs and Deon Long, who have the potential to be a superstar duo this

Sep 14, 2013; East Hartford, CT, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) celebrates his touchdown against the Connecticut Huskies with teammates during the second half at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

year as both come back from injury. Both are deep threats, and both can simply make things happen when the ball is in their hands. There was also a silver-lining to their injury: Edsall was able to develop much more depth at the position for this year. Levern Jacobs, Amba Etta-Tawo, and Nigel King all stepped up in their absence last year, and the five-wideout deep unit that Locksley now has could be perfect for his spread offense this year and will be very welcoming to C.J. Brown. One big loss will be tight end Dave Stinebaugh, though. He only had 204 receiving yards, but he was a major safety blanket, and the Terps don’t get that win against Virginia without him.

The offensive line is the only unit on this side of the ball where there are some questions, of course except for the injury question, which faces the whole team. Starting guard De’Onte Arnett and starting tackle Mike Madaras are both gone and were two of the three most experienced guys on the unit, but there are more silver linings here. The unit overall is more experienced than it was last year, and there’s more incoming talent 5-star Damian Prince and 4-star Derwin Gray part of the 2014 class. Both stand at 6’5 300 pounds and could start immediately as freshmen. Sal Conaboy, Ryan Doyle, and Michael Dunn are all starters who return this year, and there’s plenty of experience and depth as well with Andrew Zeller and three other seniors and a junior in the rotation. The returning talent, depth, and incoming talent is enough to suggest the line should improve this year, despite losing two key members.

Overall, this offense should be much better this year. We can’t expect the injury bug to bite again, but even if it does, there’s so much experience in the unit now that Edsall and Locksley should be much better prepared to adjust. An offense that scored just over 26 points per game last year could break out this year, but once again, that’s all contingent on how well it can adjust to Big Ten defenses.