With college football’s National Championship taking place tonight between Alabama and Clemson, TSR takes a look at some of Maryland’s top performers on the gridiron in 2016.
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Best Offensive Player: Ty Johnson - Sophomore Running Back
In just his second year in College Park, Johnson emerged as Maryland’s most dynamic threat on offense. The Cumberland, Md., native played in all 13 games this season, starting eight, and led the Terps with 1,004 rushing yards (77.2 yards per game) and six touchdowns on the ground. He also proved to be an effective pass catcher out of the backfield, hauling in 16 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown.
Best Defensive Player: Jermaine Carter Jr. - Junior Linebacker
Carter himself would likely be the first to tell you that he didn’t play his best at times this season. But the Terps’ defensive captain still had several standout performances this year and stuffed the stat sheet more than any other player on his side of the ball for Maryland. Carter started all 13 games for the Terps and led the team with 110 total tackles. He finished second on the team in sacks (six) and third in tackles for loss (nine) while also adding a fumble recovery and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown.
Best Special Teams Player: Wade Lees - Freshman Punter
With Maryland having to replace one of its best kickers in school history, Brad Craddock, this year and elusive return man Will Likely missing most of the season due to injury, the Terps special teams weren’t as steady as they have been in recent years. However, Maryland was able to flip the field and pin opponents deep in their own territory many times this year because of Lees--a 28-year-old freshman punter from Australia. The Terps would certainly like to see Lees’ 39.8 yard average increase moving forward, but the Aussie did show a knack for having proper placement on his kicks by dropping 20 of his 72 punts inside the 20 yard line.
Top Newcomer: Lorenzo Harrison - Freshman Running Back
Harrison’s season was cut short after he and fellow freshman D.J. Turner were suspended for violating Maryland’s student-athlete code of conduct policy. But before being disciplined by the university and team, Harrison was having himself a spectacular rookie season in College Park. Harrison played in nine games, starting two, and rushed for 633 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry and 70.3 yards per game while looking to be the best all-around runner the Terps have prior to being suspended.
Most Improved Offensive Player: D.J. Moore - Sophomore Wide Receiver
Besides having two less receptions that team-leader Teldrick Morgan (43), Moore led the Terps in basically every receiving category this season. While starting all 13 games for Maryland this year, Moore hauled in 41 receptions for a team-high 637 yards and six touchdowns--all vast improvements from his freshman season. Moore not only showed that he made great strides from year one of college to year two, but he also proved to be Maryland’s best all-around pass catcher who’s able to streak down the sideline for a big play or cut across the middle of a the defense on an underneathe route.
Most Improved Defensive Player: Alvin Hill Jr. - Senior Cornerback
With a secondary full of upperclassmen last season, Hill started no games and seldom got any attention as a defensive back. This year Hill started all 13 games for the Terps and finished fourth on the team with 51 total tackles. The Locust Grove, Ga., native led Maryland with two interceptions this season while also recording a sack and two tackles for loss. It took four years in College Park for Hill to really be able to make a name for himself, but he finished on a very high note.
Most Memorable Offensive Performance: Ty Johnson - Sophomore Running Back vs. Purdue
There were a few Terps performances on offense this season that would be worthy of this distinction--Perry Hills against Florida International in Week 2 for instance. But there’s no denying that Johnson’s game in Maryland’s conference opener this year stands out above the rest. At home against the Boilermakers, Johnson rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, which is the best yards per carry average (29.1) by a 200-yard rusher in the FBS over the last 20 years.
Most Memorable Defensive Performance: Jermaine Carter Jr. - Junior Linebacker vs. Rutgers
In a game that would determine whether or not the Terps would become bowl eligible in head coach D.J. Durkin’s first season at the helm, Carter took over on the defensive side of the ball and made life very difficult for the Rutgers offense. Carter finished the game with 15 total tackles, eight solo, two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Carter was all over the field against the Scarlet Knights and showed the potential he has when he’s at his best.
Most Versatile Player: Teldrick Morgan - Senior Wide Receiver
Three-phase playmaker Will Likely would have probably ran away with this distinction had he stayed healthy all season. Not only was Likely one of the Terps’ best players on defense, he was also considered to be one of the best kick/punt returners in the nation and was starting to carve out more of a role for himself in Maryland’s offense. But once Likely went down, Morgan stepped up as the most versatile Terp. Although he didn’t contribute in all three facets of the game, Morgan played a pivotal role on offense and special teams for Maryland. Morgan ended up being the Terps’ second-most reliable receiver, as well as top punt returner this year.
Most Explosive Player: Ty Johnson - Sophomore Running Back
Splitting the backfield workload with several runners, limited Johnson’s carries to just 110 this season, but that speaks to his explosiveness and only makes his production as a runner that much more impressive. He became the latest Maryland back to reach the 1,000-yard milestone and did so with the fewest rushing attempts ever for a Terp that has accomplished that feat. Johnson also set the Maryland single-season record for yards per carry (minimum of 100 attempts) with 9.13. He broke Ed Modzelewski’s record of 7.38 that had stood since 1951.
Team MVP: Perry Hills - Senior Quarterback
Hills doesn’t have the gaudiest numbers or biggest playmaking ability on Maryland’s roster, but he is the Terps’ unequivocal leader and gives them the best chance to win games when he is under center. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native played in and started 11 games this season and ended up leading the Big Ten in completion percentage (61.9) in his senior season. He also ranked second in pass efficiency (140.4) in the conference. Hills’ game grew leaps and bounds from last season when he threw eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions. This year Hills threw 12 touchdown passes to just four interceptions. But what truly makes him the Terps’ most valuable player is the fact that he started that game for all six of Maryland’s wins this season. It was an up-and-down career in College Park for Hills, but he should be proud of the way he fought for his team in his final season as the signal caller.
