With fall camp in the rear view, the Terps are set to open the 2024 campaign Saturday afternoon when they host UConn inside SECU Stadium.
Maryland has won 12 straight non-conference openers heading into Saturday's matchup with the Huskies. The streak began with a 17-14 win over Navy at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore back in 2010 and includes a pair of wins over ranked Texas Longhorn squads in 2017 and 2018.
Below, TSR takes a look at three things to watch for Saturday when the Terps kickoff the season versus Huskies on FS1.
Who starts at quarterback?
This has basically been THE question with regards to Maryland football heading into the 2024 season, as four-year starter and Big Ten all-time passing yardage leader Taulia Tagovailoa has moved on to the next phase of his career.
Mike Locksley brought in former NC State quarterback MJ Morris this offseason to compete for the starting job alongside returnees Billy Edwards Jr. and Cam Edge.
While Morris has arguably the highest ceiling of the three QBs competing for the job, he has needed time to learn the playbook and get acclimated with his new teammates.
Edge is a big-bodied signal caller with arguably the strongest arm of the trio, but he is also likely the least mobile of the three which could present problems playing behind a somewhat inexperienced offensive line that is still adjusting and trying to gel as a unit.
That leaves Edwards, who appeared in eight games for the Terps last season, including the Terps' win over Auburn in the Music City Bowl in which he both started and was named the game's MVP.
Edwards' ability to come up with big plays in big spots for the Terps last season has helped him earn the trust and confidence of both his coaches and his teammates heading into 2024. His seven rushing touchdowns last season led the team and he's shown throughout his career that he is a more than capable rusher with the ball in his hands. His biggest question mark is his accuracy throwing the ball. While he has the arm strength to make most throws, he has struggled putting the ball in tight windows in the past.
Look for Edwards to likely get the starting nod with Morris also getting a healthy amount of reps on Saturday. Their ability to run the ball gives them a leg up on Edge, who is also likely to see some snaps versus the Huskies. The good news is that the staff will get the ability to see how their QBs fare during a live game and hopefully someone stands out enough to really grab a tight hold of the job, as conference play is set to begin next week versus Michigan State.
Can the run game return to form?
Any way you slice it, the Terps struggled running the ball last season, ranking near the bottom nationally in both total yards per game and yards per carry. More specifically, running back Roman Hemby seemed to hit a bit of a sophomore slump, rushing for just 680 yards and four touchdowns last season after racking up 989 yards and 10 TDs on the ground as a freshman.
Antwain Littleton, who saw the second-most carries among Maryland running backs last season, also struggled mightily as a sophomore, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry after averaging a hefty 5.0 yards per carry as a freshman. He is no longer with the program and will be suiting up for Temple this season.
That leaves senior Colby McDonald as the likely primary backup to Hemby, while redshirt freshman Nolan Ray is also expected to have a significant role this season after missing most of last year due to injury.
The biggest factor in how the run game will perform this season likely isn't any of the names above. It will be the play of an offensive line that will boast five new starters, including multiple players brought in this past offseason from the transfer portal. Purdue transfer Josh Kaltenberger is expected to start at center while Georgia transfer Aliou Bah is expected to start at right guard. Former defensive lineman Isaac Bunyn has switched sides of the ball and is expected to be the Terps' starting left guard. Division II Shorter University transfer Alan Herron is expected to start at right tackle. Redshirt sophomore Andre Roye Jr. is the lone returning offensive lineman expected to start at left tackle. The former Baltimore St. Frances star saw backup action along the o-line in six games last season.
With so many new parts along the offensive line, it is to be expected they will likely need some time to gel and get acclimated with one another.
Linebackers ready to take the next step?
While a lot of the talk this offseason has been about the Terps' secondary and how Bowling Green transfer cornerback Jalen Huskey will replace current NFL corner Tarheeb Still or how Glen Miller will fare trying to replace current Baltimore Raven Beau Brade, the linebacking unit also took some major hits this offseason.
Gone are Jaishawn Barham (Michigan) and Fa'Najae Gotay (Auburn), who combined for 81 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions last season.
Inside linebacker Caleb Wheatland is poised for a breakout junior season. He ranked second on the team in sacks (2.5) and tackles for loss (5.5), while finishing sixth in total tackles (41) a season ago. He did all of this while seeing significantly less snaps than both Barham and Gotay. He finished last season on a high note, as he recorded a career-high five tackles and sack in the Terps' win over Auburn in the Music City Bowl.
Fifth-year senior Ruben Hyppolite II is also poised to have a monster season. He is the team's leading returning tackler from a year ago. He has also proven he can handle the additional snaps, having played nearly 700 as a sophomore. A third-team All-Big Ten performer a year ago, the loss of Barham and Gotay likely gives him an opportunity to put up big numbers this season as long as he is able to remain healthy.
On the outside, junior Kellen Wyatt will look to improve on his 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss, both of which led the team a season ago. If Wyatt and edge rusher Donnell Brown can get increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks this year, it will go a long way in helping out a somewhat inexperienced secondary.
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