2007 Football Season Outlook - Part I
7/26/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
July 26, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The following is the first in a four-part series previewing the 2007 University of Maryland football team. The Terrapins open fall practice on Monday, Aug. 6 in preparation for their season opener on Saturday, Sept. 1 (6 p.m.) against Villanova at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium.
Today's portion of the outlook takes an overall look at the team before focusing on the quarterback and running back positions.
Outlook Schedule on umterps.com: Wide Receivers/Offensive Line/Tight Ends Monday, July 30 Defensive Line/Linebackers Wednesday, Aug. 1 Secondary/Specialists Friday, Aug. 3
Overall Season Outlook
The Maryland football team has quite a bit of momentum to build on after one of the most successful seasons in school history. Not only did the Terps post another nine-win season and make a run at the Atlantic Coast Conference title, but they also did something never accomplished in school history - they put the finishing touches on their third-straight bowl win.
The Terps' dominating 24-7 victory over Purdue in the 2006 Champs Sports Bowl followed wins over West Virginia in the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl and Tennessee in the 2002 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Head coach Ralph Friedgen has taken the Terps to four bowl games in his first six seasons, a feat only legendary Maryland coaches Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross can claim.
In addition, the Champs Sports Bowl victory enabled them to finish the season 9-4, marking the 13th time in 114 years of football the Terps won at least nine games. Remarkably, four of those occurrences have come during Friedgen's tenure.
"We had a good season," Friedgen said of last year. "We had a chance to make it a real special season, but came up just a little short."
Despite finishing one win away from the ACC Championship game, Friedgen always wants his team to think big.
"Last spring we talked about winning the ACC title and I don't think our players really believed it," Friedgen said. "But we ended up having an opportunity to do that. That's where we need to look to keep setting our goals high."
Despite of the loss of some key starters from a year ago, the Terps have plenty to build on.
Maryland returns 37 letterwinners, including 12 starters, from the 2006 squad. They'll be joined by another solid recruiting class as Friedgen and the staff signed 25 student-athletes in February, a group which included four All-Americans and 18 all-state honorees.
Six starters are back on offense, including a number of skill position players as running back Lance Ball, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and tight end Joey Haynos are back in the fold. In fact, backs who accounted for 94 percent of the rushing yards have returned, as well as pass-catchers who accounted for 97 percent of the receiving yards.
The Terps do have to replace the triggerman for the last two seasons as quarterback Sam Hollenbach departed, along with All-ACC left tackle Stephon Heyer. Hollenbach and Heyer hope to take their game to next level as they were signed as free agents following the 2007 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.
Heyer was the leader on an offensive line which opened holes for Ball and running mate Keon Lattimore, and allowed Hollenbach to toss for over 2,300 yards en route to All-ACC honors.
Junior WR Isaiah Williams is also back and should join Heyward-Bey to form one of the top wideout duos in the league.
Though not considered a returning starter, junior Danny Oquendo complements Heyward-Bey and Williams. Oquendo is a sure-handed receiver who manned the slot last season and may see time on the outside in the fall.
Tim Cesa, the starting fullback last season, will have to be replaced, but Cory Jackson, then just a true freshman, filled in admirably at the end of 2006, starting the final three contests.
In a battle to replace Hollenbach, junior Jordan Steffy emerged from the spring atop the depth chart, but sophomores Josh Portis and Chris Turner were close behind.
Steffy served as the backup the last two seasons, but has seen limited action in his career. However, he has been in Friedgen's offensive system for three years and that gives him a leg up on the competition.
"It's a three-man race, but Jordan has a slight edge," Friedgen said of the quarterback competition heading into fall camp.
Grooming a new signal-caller is nothing new to Friedgen, one of the top offensive minds in college football, who will serve as offensive coordinator for a second season. This will mark the fifth time in the last seven years the Terps will break in a new starting quarterback.
An offensive line that surrendered the second-fewest sacks in the ACC last season will have to be re-tooled.
Senior right guard Andrew Crummey, an All-ACC performer a year ago and a 2007 preseason All-American, headlines this group.
Junior center Edwin Williams had a solid 2006 campaign and should provide plenty of leadership.
"I feel good about our first team," Friedgen said. "We just need to stay healthy up front."
Along with the departure of Heyer, left guard Donnie Woods and right tackle Jared Gaither are not returning this season.
However, Dane Randolph, who started four games at right tackle in 2006, is expected to step into Gaither's spot, while Jaimie Thomas, who split time with Woods at the end of last season, will occupy the left guard position.
Scott Burley, a four-year veteran, played well in spring practice and has stepped into Heyer's left tackle slot.
The defense, meanwhile, also returns six starters, though that unit lost three of its top four tacklers. However, there were a number of part-time players from a year ago who should step into starting roles this season.
"We have more depth on defense than we've had in the past and a lot more than we have on offense," Friedgen said. "Defensively, we have a chance to be very good. We're young, but we have enough experience."
Junior Erin Henderson, the team's leading tackler and an All-ACC performer last season, headlines not only the linebacking corps, but the whole defense.
The country took notice of Henderson. He was named to the 2007 Playboy Preseason All-America team and is on the watch list for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy, as the top collegiate defensive player in college.
The defensive line returns some veterans.
Conrad Bolston has departed for the NFL, but junior pass rusher Jeremy Navarre and senior run-stopper Dre Moore return.
Senior Carlos Feliciano, who started seven games last season, will step into Bolston's tackle spot where the Terps hope to have an improved rushing defense.
"We want to improve our tackling and the ability to shed blockers," second-year defensive coordinator Chris Cosh said.
With the departure of Wesley Jefferson and David Holloway, the linebacking corps will have to be a focus. Younger, more inexperienced players will likely man those spots, while Trey Covington is back as the starter at LEO, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position.
The spring featured some heated battles at linebacker as junior Chase Bullock and redshirt freshman Alex Wujciak vied for the Mike position, while redshirt freshman Adrian Moten and junior Moise Fokou pushed each other at Sam.
Both of the those battles should continue through fall camp. There are two personnel and position changes in the secondary where All-America cornerback Josh Wilson and strong safety Marcus Wimbush have departed.
Wilson translated a superb senior season into becoming a second-round choice of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Senior Isaiah Gardner returns at cornerback, though he missed all of the spring to rehab his shoulder injury.
Gardner enters the fall as one starter, while junior Kevin Barnes is atop the depth chart at the other corner.
However, there should be plenty of competition at cornerback in camp. Senior Christian Varner moved from free safety to strong safety in the spring, a switch which seemed to pay dividends.
"Christian looked much more aggressive in the spring," Friedgen said. "We're looking for a big season from him."
Junior J.J. Justice entered the spring No. 1 at free safety and remained there, though sophomore Terrell Skinner will push him in August.
Offense and defense are the first aspects of a football team which come to mind, but many games are won and lost with special teams.
Chief among the concerns of the coaching staff is the lack of a returning punter or place-kicker. All-ACC performers Adam Podlesh and Dan Ennis have completed their eligibility.
Podlesh's resume did not go unnoticed as he was the first punter taken in last spring's NFL Draft when he was chosen in the fourth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. No one on the roster has punted or place-kicked during a collegiate game.
Veteran Obi Egekeze handled kickoff duties for most of last season and possesses a strong leg.
Egekeze came out of the spring No. 1 on the depth chart, but true freshman Travis Baltz, who enrolled in January, is battling for both kicking jobs.
Baltz emerged as the No. 1 punter and is No. 2 at place-kicker.
"There should continue to be competition at both spots in the fall," Friedgen said.
Quarterback
The Terps have some big shoes to fill at quarterback where two-year starter Sam Hollenbach ended a solid career last season. Hollenbach was the unquestioned leader of the offense, directing the Terps to nine victories, including a flawless performance in the Champs Sports Bowl win.
Hollenbach earned MVP honors in the bowl game and ended his career as one of just four quarterbacks in school history to toss for over 5,000 career yards.
But Friedgen, who is also in his second year as offensive coordinator, has plenty of capable replacements.
There are five quarterbacks on the roster, but there appears to be three candidates for the starting spot this fall.
Jordan Steffy, the backup last season, enters the fall atop the depth chart. He is the only signal-caller on the roster to take snaps under center at Maryland. Steffy has played sparingly in his career, but has the necessary skills to be productive in Friedgen's system.
"Jordan has matured tremendously since he came here as far as watching tape and going through the playbook," Friedgen said. "I see a whole different person right now."
Steffy played in just one game last season, but saw action in six contests in 2004 as a true freshman.
"It was disappointing that he wasn't able to play more last year because every game was so close," Friedgen said. "But I did see he really improved in practice and he did some good things, whether he can transfer that to the field is what we have to find out."
Sophomores Josh Portis and Chris Turner will push Steffy. Portis enters the fall No. 2 on the depth chart.
Portis sat out last season after transferring from the University of Florida, but was a highly sought-after recruit two years ago. He possesses a strong arm with the ability to move around the pocket. He played sparingly at UF as a true freshman in 2005.
"Josh has tremendous tools but what people just don't understand is that it takes a while to learn how to play quarterback, especially in our system, or any system," Friedgen said.
Portis didn't see many reps last season, as he spent most of the fall as a scout-team quarterback. He got quite a few more snaps in the spring, but wasn't quite able to showcase his elusiveness.
"Josh really didn't have a chance to show what he can do in the spring because we don't tackle the quarterback," Friedgen. "He's very athletic and has the ability to make people miss."
Turner, who is more of a dropback passer, enters the fall No. 3 on the depth chart. He has spent two years in the Friedgen system and next to Steffy is the most knowledgeable of the offense.
Turner was also highly recruited coming out of high school in 2004.
"Chris played well in the spring," Friedgen said. "He showed he could make some things happen."
Also in the mix for time under center are junior Bobby Sheahin and freshman Jamarr Robinson.
Sheahin transferred from West Virginia two years ago, and Robinson is a true freshman who signed with the Terps in 2006, but enrolled in school in January.
"Jamarr is learning," Friedgen said. "Ideally, we'd like to redshirt him, but we'll see. He's shown me something."
Sheahin is a pocket passer, while Robinson is a threat with his arm and legs.
"Sheahin may have the strongest arm on the team and is pretty mobile," Friedgen said.
Running Back
This is among the deepest and most talented positions on the roster, as the Terps possess one of the most dynamic backfield combinations in the country.
Seniors Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore have only scratched the surface of their potential. This duo combined for over 1,500 yards on the ground last season and will be looking for more in 2007 when each should vie for All-ACC honors.
Ball racked up a team-high 815 rushing yards in 2006, but Lattimore was not far behind with 743. They were one of just five running-back combos in the nation last season to collect over 700 rushing yards apiece.
"Lance Ball is one of the best running backs in the conference," Friedgen said.
Ball ranked seventh in the ACC in rushing (62.7 yards per game) last year and posted eight touchdowns on the ground. He started 11 of 13 games, but had just 14 more carries than his counterpart.
Both can also catch the ball out of the backfield, though Lattimore was used more in that role, totaling 20 receptions to rank fifth on the team.
Lattimore was slowed by a back injury in the spring, but should be ready to go for camp.
"Keon missed all of the spring, but he also played some very good games for us last year," Friedgen said. Redshirt freshmen Morgan Green and Da'Rel Scott were expected to battle for the No. 3 spot in the spring, but an injury to Scott ended that duel. Green took advantage of his opportunity.
"Morgan Green had a very good spring," Friedgen said. "He was much improved."
Green and Scott each have a solid prep pedigree. Green was ranked among the top 20 tailbacks in the nation coming out of high school by Rivals.com, while Scott was listed among top 25 athletes in the country by the same outlet.
A pair of redshirt freshmen - David Akatu and Pha'Terrell Washington - add depth behind Green and Scott.
Washington moved to tailback from the secondary in the spring and saw quite a bit of action due to the injuries to Lattimore and Scott.
Sophomore fullback Cory Jackson took full advantage of his opportunity last season and enters the fall as the lead blocker for Ball and Lattimore. Jackson saw extensive action in the second half of last season, subbing for an injured Tim Cesa, who will not return to the team this season.
Jackson proved to be a capable blocker as the Terps had two of their highest rushing totals (194 vs. Wake Forest and 206 vs. Purdue) in the final two games of the season. He also showed good hands, catching four passes as the outlet receiver.
Depth is a concern at this position as Jackson was the only fullback on the roster at the end of last season.
Sophomore Steve Pfister moved from linebacker over the winter and saw his first action at fullback in the spring. He enters the fall No. 2 on the depth chart.
"Steve gives great effort," Friedgen said. "He's been behind a number of guys at linebacker. He's someone we think can help us at fullback."
Incoming freshman Haroon Brown is a newcomer who may figure into the rotation with the depth at fullback.
Freshman Taylor Watson was an all-state running back in high school and may also compete for time in the backfield.
