Head coach Mike Locksley has routinely tabbed the bowl game as a preview of the 2023 season, but Maryland football has officially turned the page to year five after defeating NC State 16-12 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. While the bulk of the staff will take the next ten days to rejuvenate and prepare for the January contact period, what do the 2023 Maryland Terrapins look like? We take a stab at projecting Maryland football’s two-deep for spring ball.
QB
Starter: Taulia Tagovailoa
Backup: Billy Edwards Jr.
Skinny: Maryland is expected to return Taulia Tagovailoa in 2023 to lead the offense once again and while that means he won’t get the chance to start barring injury, Edwards Jr. will be back to solidify the quarterback depth. Jayden Sauray and Cam Edge are heading into their second seasons with the program with Edge flashing his accuracy in practice through the season as he acclimates himself to the pace of college football. He’s a step ahead of Sauray heading into spring ball as the duo patiently await the future quarterback battle.
RB
Starter: Roman Hemby
Backup: Ramon Brown OR Antwain Littleton OR Colby McDonald
Skinny: Maryland struggled to consistently run the ball in 2022, but the headliners will return in 2023 to lead the rushing attack once again. Hemby is the early favorite to lead the ground game like he did in 2022, but next season could be the breakout season for former Virginia four-star Ramon Brown who filled in in both passing and run packages as a true freshman. After signing Nolan Ray, the position is set for 2023.
WR-X
Starter: Tyrese Chambers
Backup: Leon Haughton
WR-Z
Starter: Jeshaun Jones
Backup: Tai Felton OR Shaleak Knotts
WR-H
Starter: Octavian Smith
Backup: Tai Felton
Skinny: Maryland still has a portal target in the mix in WVU WR Kaden Prather, but for now, Maryland’s wide receiver room is in good standing with several underclassmen emerging into bigger roles, especially former local four-star Octavian Smith who dazzled in limited reps in 2022. The biggest domino remains the final decision from Jeshaun Jones, but the expected return of Taulia Tagovailoa helps those chances. While Maryland may not have the NFL buzz that the 2022 room carried, the 2023 room exudes big play ability and speed as the passing attack will lead the offense.
TE
Starter: Corey Dyches
Backup: Leron Husbands OR Rico Walker.
Skinny: Maryland’s tight end room will look a bit different in 2023 after CJ Dippre opted to transfer to Alabama over Ohio State. Dyches still leads the room while Husbands will be leaned on to fill the role as a blocking tight end. Maryland welcomes four-star Rico Walker as a tight end, though he can also fill the outside linebacker room, as the question begs how long Walker will stick on the offensive side of the ball. Enrolling in January, though, gives him an early chance to see the field as a rotational piece as a true freshman.
LT
Starter: Andre Roye
Backup: Marcus Dumervil
LG
Starter: Mason Lunsford
Backup: Kyle Long
C
Starter: Coltin Deery
Backup: Aric Harris
RG
Starter: Amelio Moran
Backup: Khris Love
RT
Starter: DJ Glaze
Backup: Max McCree
Skinny: Finding an impact tackle and guard remains the focus. Should Maryland land both, I see Moran and Roye shifting into a backup role. If Maryland lands a guard and not a tackle, I see Moran shifting into a backup role. If Maryland lands a tackle and not a guard, I see Moran shifting into a backup role and Glaze potentially shifting inside. Just like the outside linebacker room, the offensive line remains a work in progress and head coach Mike Locksley has made that well known since the regular season finale.
DE
Starter: Donnell Brown
Backup: Quashon Fuller
NT
Starter: Tank Booker
Backup: Taizse Johnson
DT
Starter: Tommy Akingbesote
Backup: Jordan Phillips
Skinny: The expectation coming out of the bye week was that Maryland would have to replace all three starting defensive linemen in 2023, but head coach Mike Locksley noted following the bowl selection that the line could return Mo Kite in 2023. There was an expectation that would happen in the weeks since, but that fell through last week as Kite entered the portal on Sunday morning. Maryland will stand pat along the defensive line, though, after portal additions from Brown and Phillips round out a unit that will see developed talent shine through next fall.
JACK
Starter: Riyad Wilmot
Backup: Donnell Brown or Bam Booker
MIKE
Starter: Jaishawn Barham
Backup: Fa’Najae Gotay
WILL
Starter: Ruben Hyppolite
Backup: Caleb Wheatland OR Gereme Spraggins
SAM
Starter: Kellan Wyatt
Backup: TBD
Skinny: Finding an edge rusher remains a priority focus for Maryland this offseason with Greg China-Rose and Durell Nchami moving on with their college careers. The offseason attrition also limits Maryland’s outside linebacker depth heading into 2023, but that will settle once Maryland is able to pluck more talent from the transfer portal. While the OLB room remains a work in progress, Maryland’s inside linebacker room remains strong with Barham leading the way alongside Gotay and Hyppolite.
CB
Starter: Tarheeb Still
Backup: Gavin Gibson
CB
Starter: Ja’Quan Sheppard
Backup: Lionell Whitaker
Skinny: After adding a portal cornerback in Ja’Quan Sheppard, the room is more stable now than it was one month ago. Maryland remains in the market for another cornerback as ETSU corner Marquez Henry is a name who could visit campus next week, while the staff has connected with former Florida cornerback Jordan Young. The development of Gibson, though, bolsters confidence in the room for 2023.
SS
Starter: Beau Brade
Backup: Glen Miller
FS
Starter: Dante Trader
Backup: Avantae Williams
Skinny: The addition of former top-50 recruit Avantae Williams filled the void left by Isaiah Hazel this offseason, giving the room another quality piece in the rotation. The progression of Brade and Trader along the backline was arguably the biggest development of the 2022 season for Maryland’s defense as they’ll return to anchor the defense once again. Miller will be an integral piece to the defense, just as he was this past season before a broken collarbone derailed his season.
Related Links
VIP: where roster stands heading into offseason (+)
Maryland steamrolled by Michigan in 81-46 loss
Recruit reactions: Maryland secures eight win season (+)
Maryland in the mix for portal CB (+)
VIP: QB plans, OL pursuit, offseason objectives (+)
Mike Locksley talks Mayo bath, defensive performance in win vs. NC State
