Photo Credit: Baltimore Sun
Maryland head football coach Randy Edsall has turned into one of the more polarizing figures in college football. There are many people who despise him, including many members of the media. There are a few people who think he needs more time to build the football program at Maryland. After a horrendous 2011 season that saw Edsall’s club go 2-10 on the season (1-7 in the ACC), many fans were actually calling for Edsall to be fired after just one season on the job. Naturally that didn’t happen, as it would have costed way too much for the school to fire him, and because every coach needs time to build a program.
Much of that frustration from the fans came from the mass exodus of players from Maryland’s football program after Edsall was hired. There is bound to be a group of players who are unwilling to stay at a school when a new coach enters, but Edsall’s demeanor seemed to put off many players. He is not an easy coach to play for by any means, but that isn’t always a bad thing. He demands respect from his players, but wants the best for every single one of them. There are certain recruits who respect this type of coach, which is one of the reasons why Edsall needed his own recruits implemented who knew what to expect from him.
The 2012 season opened with lowered expectations for the Maryland football team. The season started off incredibly well, with the team sitting pretty at 4-2 (2-0 ACC) after their 27-20 victory over Virginia in Week 7. But things got ugly from there. The injuries began piling up, and the team couldn’t win another game all season. But it was a building block for 2013.
With 2012 over, Terps fans began to accept Randy Edsall as the head coach. They saw what he could do on the recruiting trail, and saw what his team can do as long as they aren’t playing a linebacker at quarterback. They saw the upside to such a young team. So what does Randy Edsall need to do at Maryland in his 3rd season?
First of all, he needs to get the Terps to a bowl game. After a two-season bowl drought, Terps fans are ready to go bowling again, even if it’s just a small bowl.
Secondly, he needs to decide what to do at running back. The Terps have 3 very good running backs on the roster for 2013 (Wes Brown, Brandon Ross, and Albert Reid). All three have a chance to get a lot of playing time this season. Ross has shone brightly as the starter in spring camp, but Reid is pushing him for the job. Brown is injured, which could really hinder his ability to compete for time in the fall. It will likely be a running back-by-committee in 2013, which should help keep all 3 backs fresh.
Lastly, he needs to find a quarterback. C.J. Brown is assumed to be the starter, but is not able to participate in spring practice after recovering from an ACL injury. Ricardo Young, a transfer from New Mexico, is the spring starter, but has been inconsistent all spring. It looks as if Brown will start in 2013, and Young will compete with Perry Hills, Caleb Rowe, and Shane Cockerille for the job in 2014.
Randy Edsall’s offense looks good for 2013. He has a ton of skill players at running back and wide receiver, and most of the success will hinge on how well the offensive line can play. A large part of Edsall’s offenses is the read-option, and he has 3 quarterbacks (Brown, Young, and Cockerille) who can run that read-option very well.
The defense is losing a lot of key players, but has some younger players with starting experience to take their places. The defense will continue to run a 3-4 style, and there should be opportunities for some of the incoming freshmen (especially at linebacker) to see significant playing time.
Special teams is locked up at every position except kicker. Stefon Diggs will continue to be an electrifying force as the Terps’ returner, and Nathan Renfro will almost assuredly be the team’s starting punter. There will be a heated competition at kicker in camp this season, however. Australian native Brad Craddock was underwhelming in his first year as the Terps’ kicker last season. Inconsistent play led Randy Edsall to use Brendan Magistro down the stretch for certain kicks. Those two will compete with incoming freshman Adam Greene, a 2-star recruit who decided to walk-on with the Terps due their inability to offer him a scholarship. Look for Brad Craddock to lock up the kickoff duties, and based on his performance in the first scrimmage, lock up all kicking duties. But he will have a short leash.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.