Maryland Terrapins:

It’s fair to call Maryland a mystery team because almost everything but the quarterback position looks good on paper. The quarterback who departed, Taulia Tagovailoa, will be hard to replace. Despite attracting many critics over the years, coach Mike Locksley has done a terrific job with the Terrapins the past three years, compiling a 23-16 record with three consecutive bowl victories. This appears to be a middle-of-the-pack team in the conference, but that’s not a bad place to be when the Big Ten looks so impressive at the top and respectable at the bottom.

Offense

Tagovailoa passed for 3,377 and 25 touchdowns last season to wrap a record-setting career at Maryland. He was bypassed by the NFL and is playing in the CFL. Locksley has not named a starter, but North Carolina State transfer MJ Morris is the favorite in a competition with Billy Edwards, who led the offense in a victory over Auburn in the Music City Bowl. There are plenty of playmakers on this side of the ball, with Roman Hemby, Colby McDonald and Nolan Ray set to lead the run-heavy attack. Kaden Prather and Tai Felton are big-time receivers, and Preston Howard is a reliable tight end. Left guard Kyle Long is the lone returning starter on a rebuilt line that will also feature transfers from Georgia, Purdue and Rutgers.

 

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Defense

Several veterans return and some transfers have been added to a defense that will be spearheaded by senior middle linebacker Ruben Hyppolite and nose tackle Jordan Phillips. While the front seven is the strength, senior safety Dante Trader is a reliable leader in the secondary. The best news for this defense is it will not face a high-powered offense until mid-October. 

Outlook

Ohio State and Michigan are not on the schedule, so the Terrapins catch those breaks while also getting Iowa, Rutgers and USC at home. There’s a decent shot Maryland will start 6-0, if it can survive road trips to Virginia and Indiana, before facing the Trojans on Oct. 19. Count on the road games against Oregon and Penn State being losses, but the remaining 10 games are winnable. Still, with so many mysteries about the quarterback and offensive line, nothing is a lock for a Maryland team that could wind up being a mediocre 6-6.

Pick: Under 6.5 Wins

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