July 12, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The second-to-last in a seven-part series, today's outlook takes a look at the linebackers for this year's University of Maryland football team. The Terrapins open fall practice on August 7th in preparation for their season opener against William & Mary at Byrd Stadium on September 2nd.
Check back every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to the Terrapins' August 7th Media Day for a breakdown on each component of this year's team (a complete list of when each position's synopsis will be posted on UMTerps.com can be found at the bottom of this page).
Linebackers
Similar to the concerns at tight end, the linebacking corps has lost a standout in 2005 ACC Defensive Player of the Year D'Qwell Jackson and fellow starter William Kershaw. Despite those losses, Maryland enters this year excited about its group of linebackers.
At LEO, Trey Covington returns after a solid first season as a starter. Covington is a sideline-to-sideline type of player and a good pass rusher. He improved on his run support last season, the strength of teammate Jermaine Lemons. Include in the mix redshirt freshmen Barrod Heggs and Jared Harrell (2005 defensive scout team Player of the Year) as well as athletic newcomer Brian Whitmore, and the Terrapins appear set for years to come. Heggs is growing at a rate that makes him a potential candidate at end, but regardless, Maryland has 3-4 players sophomore or younger at LEO and no lack of experience - a good combination.
The man looking to replace Jackson and move into the position that has produced three of the last five league defensive players of the year is junior Wesley Jefferson. Jefferson does not possess the size that made E.J. Henderson a force nor the quickness that catapulted Jackson all over the field. Simply put, he is a natural football player. He makes plays on game day, rarely misses a tackle and always seems to be around the ball. There could be additions to the group of "Mike" linebackers, but for now that group includes Jefferson, veteran Chase Bullock, Alex Schultz and newcomer Alex Wujciak. Wujciak, a highly-touted prep, is athletic enough to have been a standout for his high school basketball team in the fall while also working to add weight for his first camp as a collegian.
Despite the loss of Kershaw, the Terps could be better than last year at "Will" linebacker. Sophomore Erin Henderson returns from injury and will battle for the starting job with Moses Fokou, a transfer who has excited coaches. Henderson will be tough to beat out, however, as he is a playmaker who runs well, has good size and plays with as much intensity as any player the Terrapins have. Fokou spent last season on the scout team but opened coaches' eyes every week. He continued to make play after play in the spring and the likelihood is that he and Henderson will share the field, regardless of who starts. True freshman Chris Clinton joined the team as an early enrollee in the spring and performed well, while another athletic player who sat out last season due to transfer rules, Rick Costa, also joins the fray. The brother of center Phil, Rick Costa has good speed and strength and seems to thrive on hitting.
Entering his third year starting at the "Sam" spot is senior David Holloway, the team's leading returning tackler from a year ago. Holloway is a steady force who rarely makes assignment errors and combines skill in run support as well as the pass rush. He will get a push from the speedy Dave Philistin, one of several Terps who saw action as a true freshman in 2005. Philistin is slightly bigger than Holloway and runs under a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. Also working on the strong side will be Jeff Clement and Steve Pfister.
"I am never going to have a problem with competition and that is what we have at linebacker this year," said Friedgen. "We are young, but I don't see that as a problem with this group. I am looking forward to seeing a healthy Erin Henderson and what he can do and also what role the transfers will play. I have complete confidence in Wesley (Jefferson). I don't expect him to be an E.J. or D'Qwell, but you can't have those type of expectations for any player in his first year starting."
Outlook Schedule on UMterps.com:
Offense/Quarterbacks Posted July 13
Tailbacks/Fullbacks Posted July 18
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends Posted July 20
Offensive Line Posted July 25
Defense/Defensive Line Posted July 27
Linebackers Today
Secondary/Specialists Thursday, August 3
Other important dates:
Start of Camp/Media Day Monday, August 7
Season Opener Saturday, September 2
ACC Opener (at Ga. Tech) Saturday, October 7
For season ticket information, please call the Terrapin Ticket Office at (301) 314-7070 or (800) IMA-TERP (8377).
