High Expectations

High expectations.

Maryland football coach Michael Locksley emphasized that phrase twice during his opening statement inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at Big Ten Media Day.

"We have high expectations for ourselves heading into the 2022 season," Locksley said. "It's probably the deepest football team that we've had since I've been back here at Maryland."

The three Terps, defensive back Jakorian Bennett, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett and quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa explicitly defined those expectations.

Big Ten Network announcers asked the Terps in attendance what a successful season would look like. All three had the same answer: a Big Ten Championship.

That confidence stems mainly from a plethora of experience as the Terps enter the season with over 163 offensive starts and more than 113 defensive ones. It's also a result of a successful 2021 season in which Maryland recorded its first winning season since 2014 and first bowl victory since 2010 with a dominating 54-10 Pinstripe Bowl performance over Virginia Tech.

And while Locksley fully embraces that last year was a big step for the program, he also emphasizes that this season is a brand new slate.

"When you have the type of year we had last year, the natural reaction is to say let's build upon it," Locksley said. "We don't see ourselves building on it because last year's version of Maryland football is no longer here, and I hope what we can take from last season is the work that we put in, the necessary process that we put in place for us to have that type of year."

For Locksley, last year was a success, but not the standard.

"Obviously, 7-6 is not our standard, but we do embrace the fact that from when we got here to where we were, we made progress," Locksley said. "But we can't build on it. What we gotta do is make that our standard in terms of the preparation, the journey and not necessarily the result."

To do that, Locksley will need production from every student-athlete on the roster, but perhaps from no one more than Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa, who earned a spot on the Maxwell Award Watch List for the second-straight season, is back for his third season as a Terp. Last year, he set Maryland single-season records in passing yards (3,860), completions (328), completion percentage (69.2%), touchdowns (26, tied with Scott Milanovich, 1993), and 300-yard passing games (7).

"I don't think there's a more underrated player in the country than Taulia Tagovailoa, and I'll continue to say it," Locksley said.

As impressive as Tagovailoa was last season, Locksley has seen continued improvement, especially regarding his mental game.

"I see a growth out of him," Locksley said. "I see a comfort level in our system. That's probably one area we want to see him improve in is just the emotional maturity, and we've seen that out of Taulia."

Jarrett, a Biletnikoff Award Watch List member, has seen Tagovailoa's maturity progress first-hand.

"His poise," Jarrett said about what jumps out about his quarterback. "He never gets too high on his ups and never gets too low on his downs. I think that's what you need in a guy that's leading your team."

Tagovailoa pointed to his 11 interceptions last season as another area of focus for him heading into the 2022 campaign.

"If you look at last year, the biggest number that pops out is the turnovers, just taking care of the football," Tagovailoa said. "We could've put a lot more points on the board if we had the ball in our hands."

Locksley also cited the importance of returning all five starting offensive linemen from last season, calling that group "the most improved unit on our team."

"They have a lot of game experience now," Locksley said. "There's no doubt that position group is going to play a major role in the outcome of what our season looks like."

Additionally, Locksley pointed to the benefits of finally having a healthy defense after injuries hindered the season of numerous key players last year, including Fa'Najae Gotay, Deonte Banks, and Durell Nchami.

The defense will look to have a bounce-back year after allowing 30.7 points per game last season. However, Maryland's defense ended the year strong, allowing only 13.0 points per game in its final two games - both Terps wins.

"It all starts with the details," said Bennett, who led all Power Five players with 16 pass breakups last season. "I thought last year we beat ourselves a lot just with penalties and not doing our assignment. But now we're just focused on the details, focused on doing the little things, and everything else will handle itself." 

The Terps also return both coordinators they finished the season with, Dan Enos on the offensive side and Brian Williams on defense.

"I'm a strong believer in continuity leading to success," Locksley said. "Both those guys have done tremendous jobs on those two phases, and I expect them to take that next step."

During his sit-down with the Big Ten Network panel, Locksley praised Williams, who served as the primary defensive play-caller during the team's wins over Rutgers and Virginia Tech before being officially named defensive coordinator in February.

"I just saw the way our players responded to him in the front of the room…Brian Williams has the respect of our team and our players," Locksley said. 

Perhaps the most exciting news of the day for the Maryland program and Terp fans was the update on Dontay Demus Jr.

The senior wideout and 2021 Biletnikoff candidate led the Big Ten in receiving yards through five games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Inside Lucas Oil Stadium, Locksley revealed that Demus is ahead of schedule in his recovery.

"There is the expectation that we'll see Dontay Demus playing in the first game," Locksley told the media.

Demus Jr. boosts an already lethal wide receiver unit that features Jarrett, who led Maryland with 62 receptions, 829 yards, and five touchdowns last year, talented Florida transfer Jacob Copeland, and Jeshaun Jones, who is also coming off an injury and expected to be ready by Week One.

"It's almost a pick-your-poison type of group," Jarrett said. "You can pick one to stop, but the other three are going to be there. I think it's going to be very hard for the defenses to hone in on one person."

The wideout room, which is the third-best in the country per CBS Sports, will look to make life easier for Tagovailoa.

"It's a big blessing having guys like that who want the ball in their hands and who want to work," Tagovailoa explained. "It's been very motivating for me. It does take a lot of pressure off me knowing that I have a lot of playmakers and I can just get the ball in their hands."

The high expectations for the wideout unit, and the offense as a whole, reflect the outlook for the entire program.

For Locksley and the Terps, the time to progress is now.

"We're looking forward to this year's version of the Maryland football family doing the necessary things, playing with the type of discipline, the type of toughness, the type of effort, as well as being committed and connected to take the next step that we need to take as a program," Locksley said.