Maryland Terrapin fans are and should be ecstatic after a dominating Pinstripe Bowl, but what now? As Maryland exceeded expectations last season, this year they look to meet up to their new and much higher expectations. Looking to make back-to-back bowl games since the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the 2022 season is on the horizon, here are a couple things you should look out for:
What Will the Safety Position Look like?
With the departure of talented safety Nick Cross to the 2022 NFL Draft, the Terps will see a pair of new faces along the backline in junior Beau Brade and senior Isaiah Hazel with sophomore Dante Trader and junior Glen Miller rotating in. Brade’s pedigree as a physical safety will be put to the test in his first full season in an expanded role, while veteran Isaiah Hazel has the range to fill in the last line of defense. “Safeties nowadays, you got to be able to play the run and the pass, every play, no matter what,” Maryland safeties coach Wes Neighbors said ahead of spring ball. Both Hazel. and Brade are extremely talented at their spots, especially Brade who fits into that dynamic run and pass stopping mold that Neighbors preaches. Maryland’s cornerback room is set with Jakorian Bennett returning alongside Tarheeb Still, Deonte Banks and Kenny Bennett but with Nick Cross off to the NFL and a new coach in the system, the safety position will be under the microscope heading into next season.
How does Taulia flash his development?
Taulia Tagovailoa has been every Terps fans hopes and dreams when he had announced he was coming to Maryland back in May of 2020. Breaking all types of Maryland records over his 2021 campaign and topping it off by winning the Pinstripe Bowl MVP with an impressive 265 passing yards, two touchdowns and 42 rushing yards on four carries.
But the question remains, can he do it again?
The entirety of Maryland’s 2022 season and even the potential job security of head coach Mike Locksley hinges on the play of the star QB. Sure, there are other areas of question on the offense after losing both RB Tayon Fleet-Davis and TE Chig Okonkwo to the NFL Draft, but in the end, the man wearing that number three on his back dictates how the plays are ran, and who is getting the ball. And if there is anyone for these players to trust at the helm it most certainly is Taulia. Both sides of the ball trust him as their leader of this team and heading into the 2022 season, it’s going to be vital to see how his leadership helps motivate his guys to be even better.
What will Maryland’s OL depth look like?
The biggest development of the season was the return of Johari Branch, Spencer Anderson and Jaelyn Duncan to replenish Maryland’s starting offensive line. That’s given offensive line coach Brian Braswell a chance to tweak his rotations with DJ Glaze lining up at both guard and tackle while Aric Harris continues to develop after a full season in the program. “Aric has really put in the work needed,” Braswell said back on March 29. “The problem with Aric last year was he got here kind of late so the strength and conditioning part, the conditioning being the part, learning the techniques, he didn’t have the necessary time needed to learn all of it at that time.”
Harris ability to play center gives Braswell time to iron out the two-deep, but the trio of returning veterans has allowed Braswell to develop his depth. Linemen Amelio Moran and Ja’Khi Green have stuck out while Marcus Finger, Sean Wilkens and Andre Roye have worked with the second unit. Maryland will look to capitalize on the confidence in the trenches to maximize what should be an explosive offense, but the spring gives Maryland a chance to iron out their long-term depth.
What can Brian Williams bring as the Defensive Coordinator?
It’s no secret that Maryland’s defense needs a lot of help heading into the 2022 season. The Terps found themselves more games then not, trying to outscore teams instead of being able to stop them on the defensive end. Nevertheless, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel with Williams running the defensive side of the ball. Williams had taken over the play-calling over the last couple games of the season last year, and specifically versus Rutgers and Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Maryland defense played particularly well, only letting up a combined 26 points and 310 yards passing, which was the Terps Achilles heel all season as they ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten in stopping the arial attack. Coach Williams looks to carry this improvement into the 2022 season and with a crucial piece in Deonte Banks coming back at the cornerback position after a brutal injury early last season, the Terps defense can look to make noise.
Meanwhile, the linebacker room was hit with attrition this offseason but with a newcomer like VanDarius Cowan along with freshmen Jaishawn Barham and Caleb Wheatland stepping in, head coach Mike Locksley expressed confidence in the room.
“You throw into two freshmen and then Ahmad McCullough has had a really good spring and he's a versatile guy that plays some inside and outside as does VanDarius Cowan and the flexibility that both those guys give us with being able to play you know, Ahmad is more of a SAM, MIKE, WILL and then VanDarius is more of a JACK and a MIKE and so we're fitting those pieces together.”
Saturday will gave fans their first look at how the linebacker room fares in 2022.
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