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Five stock risers for Maryland football heading into 2023 season

Maryland football will kick off year five of the Mike Locksley era when the Towson Tigers head to SECU Stadium for a 3:30 PM kickoff next Saturday. As Maryland has wrapped up fall camp and has shifted attention toward game prep, the Terps will hope to take care of business early while Tigers’ first-year head coach Pete Shinnick will look to change that. As fans get a chance to see several new and key pieces leading the way in The Shell, like Taulia Tagovailoa, Jaishawn Barham and Jeshaun Jones, we look at four players stepping into bigger roles in 2023.

TE Preston Howard Maryland has a proven piece to lead the tight end room into the 2023 season with Corey Dyches back to prove he's among the best receiving tight ends in college football, but the biggest piece this season was going to be who Maryland's second tight end to fill arguably the second-biggest need behind the offensive line. From start to finish, that person has been second-year tight end Preston Howard who has built off a productive spring where he earned top freshman honors. Howard previously played tight end--in youth ball--but the transition to quarterback in high school meant that the athletic 6-foot-5 would need time before stepping into a rotational role. After battling back from a leg injury that sidelined him his freshman season, Howard has given the room another dynamic piece as a fluid tight end in space. Freshman Rico Walker, who was a candidate for defense out of high school, has stuck around on offense where assistant Kevin Sumlin has worked with the former four-star on refining his technique. Leron Husbands, who has battled injuries through his career, returns alongside a pair of freshmen in Dylan Wade and AJ Szymanski, but the former McDonogh product could become a more household name in College Park this fall.

K/P Jack Howes After watching Chad Ryland become an early day three selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, fans questioned who the Terps could turn to this offseason to fill those shoes. Enter Jack Howes, a redshirt sophomore originally from Edgewater (FL). There was a chance that Howes entered the 2022 season as the Terps’ starter, but when the difference-maker like Ryland entered the portal, Maryland pounced. Along with giving Howes an extra season, even Locksley cited the benefit of Howes’s learning from Ryland through the 2022 season. Maryland tested Howes by bringing in Evan Johnson, a walk-on from Michigan State, but even through camp, Howes held on strong to round out the special teams unit heading into the season. Though also listed as a punter, veteran Colton Spangler returns and is expected to take over as the full-time starter.

DL Jordan Phillips You heard his name in the spring, but heading into the fall, the redshirt freshman is poised for an impact role along a Maryland defensive line that features turnover yet quiet confidence heading into the season. Maryland returns a pair of vets with Tommy Akingbesote and Taizse Johnson leading the way, a pair of mainstays in the trenches after becoming key rotational pieces in the 2022 season. But it’s been Phillips, a former top target out of high school before committing to Tennessee, who continued his strong play from the spring into the completion of camp. Phillips has Big Ten-ready size, strength, and burst to become an undoubted key piece of the puzzle to rebuilding the defensive line and was a disruptor in the trenches through camp. Phillips isn’t alone as former Angelo State lineman Tre Colbert has also shown flashes through the duration of camp that he can give the line the necessary depth that Henry Chibueze provided one season ago, adding to the confidence in the defensive line. https://twitter.com/TerpsFootball/status/1694728457341620530

OL Mike Purcell The expectation heading into fall camp was that the former Elon center would take over as the Terps’ starting center, filling the void left by Johari Branch’s departure. But it was veteran Aric Harris who opened with the ones during camp, creating a battle between the two seniors heading into both scrimmages. But as camp progressed, so did Purcell’s comfort with the ones where he found his groove and the necessary comfort to take the edge back as the expected starter. Head coach Mike Locksley praised Purcell as “probably one of the guys that has had some of the bigger strides from week one to week three.” With DJ Glaze and Gottlieb Ayedze locking down the tackle spots and Corey Bullock penciled in as a starter, veteran Amelio Moran has primarily filled the void as the fifth starter. Maryland will hope to test its depth in this weekend’s opener against Towson, but the former Elon lineman is poised for a feature role this season.

WR Braden Wisloski The Pennsylvania athlete enrolled back in January where he got adjusted to the playbook, terminology and college speed of the game. That helped the shifty athlete set himself up for a strong fall camp, where the speedster has been able to flash on occasion. Maryland’s wide receiver room has several upperclassmen to lead the way, giving Wisloski a chance to learn from them, but it’s his impact on special teams as a return candidate that gives him the nod. Wisloski’s speed and big-play potential has been hard to ignore, hence why he’s become an immediate candidate in the third phase of the game. Freshman wideout Ryan Manning also benefitted from enrolling early, joining the team for bowl prep one day after signing day, and has become a candidate in the return game while second-year Leon Haughton wideout Leon Haughton has given the room another big-bodied target behind Kaden Prather. Others considered not listed: QB Cam Edge, QB Billy Edwards Jr, WR Tai Felton, LB Mike Harris, RB Colby McDonald, RB Nolan Ray, LB Kellan Wyatt,

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