While the Terps return a number of starters from a season ago and bring back some key players from injury, several returning players who saw limited action last year are ready to step into key roles in 2022.
With the start of the season just weeks away, TSR takes a look at five key Terps ready to breakout in 2022.
CJ Dippre
While Corey Dyches is expected to step right into the role of former Terps and current Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo this season, it is Dippre who is perhaps generating the most buzz at the position. At 6-foot-5, 260-pounds and as one of the strongest players on the team, Dippre brings a physicality at the end of the line the Terps have lacked in recent years. But beyond just his ability to block, coaches and teammates alike have raved about his pass-catching ability at the start of camp. Just how good can Dippre be? Star wideout Rakim Jarrett likened him to current Iowa tight end Sam Laporta and current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth. His size, footwork, hands, catch radius and physicality should make him a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses and it would not be surprising at all to see him get involved in the passing game early and often against some of the stronger defenses in the Big Ten.
Dante Trader Jr.
A former football and lacrosse star at McDonogh, Trader played in 12 of 13 games as a true freshman in 2021, recording 16 tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. With former starting safety Nick Cross now playing for the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL, the Terps are looking to Trader to fill his shoes in the defensive backfield this season. By all accounts, Trader has become a quiet leader of the defense and taken to the starting safety role, showing a high football IQ. A big reason for that high IQ, according to Trader, is all the time he spent in the film room with Cross before he departed for the NFL, learning how to read opposing quarterbacks and where he should be on various plays. With his size, speed, athleticism and time in the film room, Trader is poised to have a big sophomore campaign in 2022.
Romam Hemby
Of all the Terps' freshman running backs that saw action in 2021, it was Colby McDonald who got the most carries and put up the biggest numbers. But despite carrying the ball just 17 times for 71 yards and a couple of touchdowns a season ago, it is redshirt freshman Roman Hemby who seems to be getting some of the most mention to start fall camp. The biggest reason Hemby has gotten perhaps the most mention of all the running backs this preseason? Speed. While Colby McDonald has excellent vision and Antwain Littleton is capable of shedding tacklers, it is Hemby who brings the most speed to the table. In an offense that has become known for its big-play ability in recent years, Hemby is the obvious home run threat with his breakaway speed and he showed as much during the Terps' spring game earlier this year, with a 44-yard TD scamper.
Beau Brade
With former starting safeties Nick Cross and Jordan Mosley having both moved on to the pro ranks, it left two starting spots open in the backend of the Terps' defense for the upcoming season. One of those spots appears to belong to the previously mentioned Dante Trader, while the other appears to be junior Beau Brade's for the taking. The Howard County product saw action in all five games as a freshman mostly on special teams, before seeing action in 12 of 13 games as a backup safety a year ago, totaling 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. At 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, Brade arrived at Maryland with the reputation as a hard-hitting defensive back and that has carried over to his time at Maryland. While Trader looks to be the new quarterback of the defensive secondary, it is Brade who is likely to lay the wood and put fear in opposing receivers (and quarterbacks when hopefully blitzing). With Brade and Trader, the Terps hopefully have a talented young safety tandem that can learn and grow together on the job and be a force on the back end for years to come.
Antwain Littleton II
If Roman Hemby is the lightning, redshirt freshman running back Antwain Littleton is the thunder. The 6-foot, 285-pound back has continued to reshape his body since last year, getting leaner and stronger heading into his second season with the Terps. Simply put, Littleton is a halfback in a fullback's body, with good vision and footwork paired with the type of leverage and downhill power you would expect from someone his size. That combination of size and skill should make him an excellent option for the Terps in goal line as well as short-yardage situations. While one or both of Hemby and McDonald are likely to see the bulk of carries this season, don't be surprised to see the 'Little Bus' make a name for himself picking up crucial first downs and scoring goal line touchdowns.
