While the Terps saw some key departures this offseason like Chig Okonkwo, Tayon Fleet-Davis, Jordan Mosley and Nick Cross, they also got some talented players back that missed a portion of last year due to season-ending injury.
Several of those coming back from season-ending injury a year ago are considered among the top returning players for the Terps in 2022.
With the start of the 2022 season just around the corner, TSR takes a look at five key Terps ready to bounce back from season-ending injuries in 2021.
Dontay Demus
You can't make this list without starting with arguably the Terps' top returning player heading into the 2022 season. Demus has everything you look for in a big-time pass catcher at 6-foot-4 with long arms, a big catch radius and breakaway speed. A two-time member of the Biletnikoff Award watch list, Demus was on pace for a possible record-breaking 2021 season with 28 catches for 507 yards and three receiving touchdowns in less than five full games before going down with a season-ending knee injury versus Iowa. To the surprise of some, including Demus himself, the fifth-year senior appears to be ahead of schedule returning from his injury and is expected to be ready to go for the Terps' Sept. 3 season opener versus Buffalo. Any skepticism about his Week 1 return has been quelled by his return to practice in full pads and at full speed to start fall camp. If Demus and returning starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa can pick up where they left off last year, Demus' decision to return to school could look like a brilliant move as he could be in line to put up video game numbers in his final season at Maryland.
Jeshaun Jones
This isn't the first time Jones has had to come back from a season-ending injury. His 2019 season was over before it even started after suffering a torn ACL during fall camp. Jones played in six games last season, hauling in a team-high five catches for 78 yards in a win over Kent State and earning his first start of the year Week 6 versus Ohio State. Unfortunately for Jones, his first start would be his last, as he suffered a season-ending leg injury for the second time in his Terps career. Like Demus, however, Jones is back and appears to be at or near full strength to start fall camp as he has been in pads and fully participating in drills at practice. A healthy Jones gives the Terps some added depth at wide receiver and gives them another experience, dynamic playmaker who can score in a number of different ways. With a healthy Jones in the mix, don't be surprised to see the Terps go four wide at times this season.
Fa'Najae Gotay
After a productive sophomore season in which he started three of five games and finished tied for third on the team in tackles, Gotay's 2021 season lasted just one game, as he suffered a season-ending upper-body injury versus West Virginia in the opener. Gotay is back healthy and ready to go to start fall camp and the timing couldn't be better, as the Terps suffered significant attrition at linebacker this offseason with players like Branden Jennings and Demeioun Robinson moving on. And while Gotay is fighting to earn one of the starting inside linebacker spots with Gereme Spraggins and Caleb Wheatland, he will likely see significant snaps this season regardless of who starts which should help keep the defense fresher heading into the fourth quarter of games.
Durell Nchami
Like Jeshaun Jones mentioned above, Nchami played in the Terps' first six games of 2021 before suffering a season-ending upper-body injury versus Ohio State. Also like Jones, Nchami missed the entire 2019 season after suffering a torn ACL during preseason camp. But when healthy, Nchami isn't just the Terps' best pass rusher, he is considered one of the best pass rushers in the country. In 19 games over the course of his Maryland career, Nchami has recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Getting to opposing quarterbacks against the better teams in the Big Ten can be a problem and a healthy Nchami able to make it through an entire season would go a long way in helping first-year defensive coordinator Brian Williams apply pressure on opponents' offenses. His size, strength, burst and instincts in opposing backfields make him a game-changer for the Maryland defense, especially if he can make it through an entire 12-game season.
Deonte Banks
Deonte Banks enters the 2022 season having started 13 of the 18 games he's played in during his Maryland career. He saw a promising junior year cut short however, as he suffered a shoulder injury Week 2 versus Howard that required season-ending surgery. Maryland's cornerbacks had their share of struggles the rest of the 2021 season with with one of their most experienced corners, in Banks, sidelined. Fast forward to today and Banks is healthy and at full strength to start fall camp and his teammates in the defensive backfield are excited to get him back on the field. In Banks, the Terps have a big, physical, experienced corner that can play on the outside and create matchup problems for some of the more physical wideouts in the Big Ten. With the return of Banks, paired with the return of Nchami, don't be surprised to see the Terps possibly record some coverage sacks this season.
