July 8, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The following is the third in a nine-part series previewing the 2005 University of Maryland football team. The Terrapins are less than a month from the start of fall practice (Aug. 8) in anticipation of the season opener against Navy at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on September 3rd.
Today's portion of the outlook for 2005 takes a look at the Terps' wide receivers, unit which will have some experience but a great deal of fresh faces when camp rolls around. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday in the month of July (and the first week of August) for a breakdown on each component of this year's team (a complete list of when each position's outlook will be posted on UMTerps.com can be found at the bottom of this page).
Wide Receiver
Despite a spring where the number of receivers the team had to work with was below what was needed, the team had one of the most productive offseasons in recent memory. Most of that can be credited to the attitude of the unit and the leadership of a pair of seniors.
First-year coach Bryan Bossard got all that he could have asked from seniors Derrick Fenner and Jo Jo Walker. Both put in their best work in the weightroom and were vocal leaders of a receiving corps that noticeably made more plays in spring. The unit lost a pair of productive players in Steve Suter and Rich Parson, but Fenner and Walker seem ready to step in and ease the burden for what will be the youngest unit on the team.
Fenner is one of the team's best route runners and blazed to a personal-best time of 4.37 in offseason testing in the 40-yard dash. With a 40-inch vertical jump, he also offers the team a go-to player in goal line situations if needed. He will be backed up at the "X" spot by Drew Weatherly, Paschal Abiamiri and Isaiah Williams. Now a junior, Weatherly should be ready to take the next step and utilize the best combination of size (6-4, 210) and speed (4.5) that the team has to offer. Like Fenner, he has a 40-inch vertical jump and good hands. Abiamiri has been a player who has looked good in spring ball almost every year, but has been unable to make the next step. With the unit being so young, his contribution would be very important this year. Finally, Williams is one of five true freshmen who will be given a legitimate shot at playing time in the fall, and he brings another big body (6-3, 200) to the mix.
At "Z," Walker heads into the season as the starter after a spring where his improvement was notable. He ran a 4.43 in spring testing, but more importantly he made more plays and more big catches than any other player on the field. He has always been one of the team's quickest players and it looks like in his senior campaign, he is ready to maximize his talents. Behind him, senior Danny Melendez gives the team a speedy receiver with good hands who knows the system well enough to line up on either side and behind Melendez will be another pair of true freshmen, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Terrell Skinner. Heyward-Bey is one of the nation's top prep sprinters as well as one of the top-rated wideouts in the nation in 2004. Skinner is a converted quarterback from Florida who will get his first look on offense, but showed his wares to recruiters as a defensive back at several prep camps last year and could get moved there if need be.
At slot receiver, Walker will be the first player in as he is the most experienced after spending the last three seasons there. Behind him will be the hard-working Greg Powell - a player who had five catches in the spring game - as well as Danny Oquendo and Nolan Carroll, two more true freshmen. Oquendo is a high school track star (hurdles) with good football skills while Carroll is another Floridian who will be looking to return to the form that had him as one of the state's top receivers his junior year before injuring his knee.
"Our wide receivers looked much improved to me in the offseason and they stayed healthy, which is amazing with as many reps as they had to take in spring," said Friedgen. "What I am hoping with these kids is that they will continue to take this attitude and maturity and give some of that to some of these young kids who are coming in. But when they have been on, they have been complete players - catching, running with the ball and blocking."
Outlook Schedule on UMterps.com:
Offense/Quarterbacks Posted July 7
Tailbacks/Fullbacks Posted July 12
Wide Receivers Thursday, July 14
Tight Ends Tuesday, July 19
Offensive Line Thursday, July 21
Defense/Defensive Line Tuesday, July 26
Linebackers Thursday, July 28
Defensive Backs Tuesday, August 2
Specialists Thursday, August 4
Other important dates:
Start of Camp/Media Day Monday, August 8
Season Opener vs. Navy Saturday, September 3
Home Opener vs. Clemson Saturday, September 10
For season ticket information, please call the Terrapin Ticket Office at (301) 314-7070 or (800) IMA-TERP (8377).
