July 15, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The following is the fourth in a nine-part series previewing the 2004 University of Maryland football team. The Terrapins open fall practice on August 11th in preparation for their season opener against Northern Illinois at Byrd Stadium on September 4th.
Today's segment of the outlook for 2004 takes a look at the Terrapins' tight ends and h-backs, a group that is expected to add a few new wrinkles to the Maryland offense this year. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday in the month of July 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), a squad ranked by most preseason publications in the top 25 nationally.
Tight Ends & H-Backs
A familiar face will be noticeably absent this year as four-year starter Jeff Dugan has exhausted his eligibility and now resides on the Minnesota Vikings roster. The Terrapins will certainly miss having what was essentially a sixth offensive lineman on the field and the result will likely be two groups of tight ends being utilized - a "big" tight end and a "small" tight end or H-backs.
The "big" group - the more traditional tight end role -- will be led by junior Derek Miller, who will likely be on the field most of the time and draw the majority of the starting assignments. Friedgen sees Miller's progress as an important part of the equation this year. Miller's speed has improved - he runs a 4.79 at 6-7 and 264 pounds - and he appears to be ready to take the next step toward being a solid contributor as a pass catcher.
"I think Derek's improvement is a key to us being a good football team," said Friedgen. "He is a good blocking tight end, but we are losing a great tight end and he needs to really strive to get to that level. But I think he came on at the end of spring and the weight he dropped really helped him improve his speed. He just seemed to get better for us all along."
Behind Miller in the group of big tight ends is a cluster of players who could vie for playing time. Sophomore Brad Schell and redshirt freshman Joey Haynos each have a considerable shot to see the field. Haynos is built a lot like Miller (6-8, 247) and has improved a great deal since walking on a year ago. At this stage, he lacks the experience of the other two he will be competing with.
The other group of tight ends - most commonly referred to in the offense as H-backs -- will feature senior Rob Abiamiri and sophomore Vernon Davis. The pair have the size to play tight end joined with the speed to get down the field like a receiver. Abiamiri came on last year to earn his first letter while Davis showed flashes of the amazing physical skills that had him rated as one of the top tight ends in the country as a prep. Both played very well in the spring and Davis, who tested out as the strongest tight end pound-for-pound in Maryland history, showed playmaking ability like few players Maryland has seen before. If his play in the offseason can translate in the fall, the excitement he has elicited from fans and teammates will be warranted, making him an instant honors candidate.
"I think our two-tight end personnel group is going to be a bigger part of our offense this year," said Friedgen. "We've got two pretty good athletes in Davis and Abiamiri and we think it can give us some options we haven't been able to explore in the past. And with Derek Miller's improvement, we can mix any combination or leave him in there alone. Basically, there is a lot we can do to maximize the production at the position based on the talent we have."
Outlook Schedule on UMterps.com:
Offense/Quarterbacks Posted July 6
Tailbacks/Fullbacks Posted July 8
Wide Receivers Posted July 13
Tight Ends Today
Offensive Line Tuesday, July 20
Defense/Defensive Line Thursday, July 22
Linebackers Tuesday, July 27
Defensive Backs Thursday, July 29
Specialists Tuesday, August 3
For season ticket information, please call the Terrapin Ticket Office at (301) 314-7070 or (800) 462-TERP (8377).
