In Maryland football coach DJ Durkin’s second season at the helm, the Terps’ backfield remains their strongest unit. But finding a consistent quarterback to feed Maryland’s receivers for a steady passing game hasn’t been as easy.
The Terps’ two leading rushers from 2016, Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison, are returning after combining for 1,637 yards last season. While the backfield is set, with Jake Funk expected to receive more touches and three highly touted freshmen joining the cast, the graduation of quarterbacks Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe left a void.
“The pass game’s huge for us,” Funk said. “If our pass game’s successful, our run can even be more successful. They go hand-in-hand. And if our run game is successful, it’s going to help our pass game. So just keeping the offense as balanced as possible I think is going to help our offense take that next step, become really great.”
Returning sophomore quarterbacks Tyrrell Pigrome and Max Bortenschlager, North Carolina transfer Caleb Henderson and four-star recruit Kasim Hill are in contention to start. But Durkin said the burden to name a starter is up to the players.
“We certainly have plenty of eyes on it, and we’ll evaluate it really hard, and there’s a lot that goes into that evaluation,” Durkin said. “But to me, they’ll decide that. So we … just want to put them in a position to go and earn it, and we’ll go from there.”
Last year, the Terps ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 2,594 rushing yards. The passing game didn’t keep up, finishing 10th in the conference with 2,317 yards. To avoid facing an eight-in-the-box defense that counters a run-reliant offense, an offense that lost three of its top four wide receivers from 2016 must find playmakers.
Wide receiver Taivon Jacobs returns to the mix after knee injuries sidelined him for most or all of three seasons at Maryland. In 2015 — his one full season — he was third on the team with 21 catches for 264 yards as a redshirt sophomore.
Wideout DJ Turner caught just two passes last campaign, but he could see an increased role as well. The sophomore said he’s asked junior D.J. Moore, who led the team with 637 receiving yards in 2016, for advice.
“He helps out with the whole receiving [corps],” Turner said. “Just watching him play alone, you get to learn a lot. Like, how much confidence he plays with, just the little things like his routes and how he catches the ball. Everything about his game you can learn from.”
Turner is Pigrome’s roommate, but he doesn’t think any option at quarterback is a bad choice. He wouldn’t mind if the decision on a starter were made quickly, though.
“You want to kind of develop a chemistry with your starting quarterback, and not knowing who that is is kind of tough,” Turner said. “But I feel like every receiver in the receiving corps has a little bit of chemistry with each guy, so whenever the starter is picked I feel like we’ll be able to build off of that.”
Other notes:
Henderson sat out Maryland’s spring game with an ankle injury, but the former Tar Heel is “healthy, running, doing everything,” Durkin said.
“I’d say he’s about 95 percent, maybe higher, almost 100 right now,” he added. “He’s feeling good, so he’ll be competing, participating, not held out of practice at all.”
Linebacker Nnamdi Egbuaba injured his knee in the spring and is coming off surgery. Therefore, he won’t participate in practices. Freshman B’Ahmad Miller also suffered an offseason knee injury and will not practice at the beginning of fall camp.
Linebacker Shane Cockerille is still a part of the team and can practice, but “there’s a lot of things day-to-day with Shane. I just really want to hold him accountable,” Durkin said.
Cockerille was suspended for undisclosed reasons prior to Maryland’s 36-30 defeat in the Quick Lane Bowl against Boston College. The senior was the Terps’ second-leading tackler with 108 last year.
“I’m trying to help Shane for not just his football career, but for his life,” Durkin said. “So it’s a matter of accountability every day. So he’s with us to start … and as we move into the season I certainly anticipate playing and hope he’s still with us. But there’s still some things that have to happen and get done between now and then.”
