As we draw nearer to the beginning of the first spring practice of the DJ Durkin era in College Park, I spoke with my fellow BSL Terps Analyst Andrew Feather about a number of topics surrounding the program.

(Discuss this article on the BSL Message Board here.)

Q: After being hired in early December, DJ Durkin has been slowly forming his coaching staff, with 7 assistant coaches already on board. Which hire stands out the most to you as one that will have the biggest lasting impact on Maryland’s football program?

Feather: I’m going to go with new defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim. One of Maryland’s biggest problems has been letting the wealth of in-state talent go everywhere but its flagship school. The addition of Abdul-Rahim will change that. He is known for his ability to recruit the D.C. metropolitan area, playing a key role in Trevon Diggs’ commitment to Alabama, a talent that he will almost certainly bring to the Terrapins. With the ties that Abdul-Rahim has in the area, it would be surprising to see Maryland miss out on the top in-state kids like they have in the past.

Kiesel: Abdul-Rahim definitely stands out as a hire that will have an impact not only in the short run, but in the long run as well. There’s a reason why Alabama head coach Nick Saban hired him as his director of player personnel. He built Friendship Collegiate Academy’s football program from the ground up, giving him very large stature in the Washington, D.C. recruiting area. He also has strong ties in Maryland and Virginia, which will certainly help the Terrapins mightily as they continue to market the “DMV-to-UMD” movement.

Q: As he forms his staff, Durkin is placing a clear emphasis on recruiting. With Mike Locksley not expected to return, does the program have enough recruiters on board to make up for that loss?

Feather: The program has more than enough recruiters. As I mentioned before, Azaar Abdul-Rahim is fantastic on the recruiting trail. Durkin has connections all over the country, and new associate head coach/defensive line coach Mike London pulls talent out of Virginia better than anyone in the country. While his seasons with the Cavaliers may have been disappointing, London’s recruiting classes definitely were not. Also, new assistant head coach/special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Pete Lembo has a wealth of connections in talent-rich states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania, so Durkin’s staff will have no trouble getting recruits to College Park.

Kiesel: Losing Locksley will definitely hurt in the short run, and will cost Maryland at least a few recruits. However, in the long run, Durkin has set up a staff that is more than capable of filling that void. Nearly all of his assistant coaches are masters on the recruiting trail. In addition to Abdul-Rahim, London, and Lembo, new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Walt Bell and new director of player personnel Eric White also have strong recruiting skills. That’s not to mention Durkin’s own recruiting prowess, as he was named the best recruiter in the country by Rivals.com in 2012.

Q: With the talent already on the roster and the incoming recruiting classes, how long do you believe it will take for Maryland fans to see quality results from Durkin’s team?

Feather: It’s obviously going to take a few years for the program to develop, but I think that in two or three years the Terps could be turned into a consistent 8-4 team that has the chance to upset the top teams in the Big Ten. Looking at a projected offensive line a couple years down the road, the underclassmen paired with the 2016 commits may be the best in the conference. Also, with a year or two under his belt, Dwayne Haskins could give Maryland some much needed stability at the quarterback position. The Terps are already in a better position than a big chunk of the Big Ten in terms of location, facilities and money, so with a little bit of success and patience from the administration, I could see Maryland being a contender in the conference down the road when Durkin gets a full team of his recruits.

Kiesel: I think fans will start to see results immediately. Not necessarily in the form of wins, those will come in 2-3 years. But the 2016 squad will start to show the fanbase what Durkin is all about as a coach. There will be renewed energy and toughness. The offense will be fast (though not as fast as Bell wants it), and the defense will play fast aggressive. While they may not make it to a bowl game, the team will play hard. Overall, I like to give a head coach 3-4 years before fully judging him. But with the talent already on Maryland’s roster coupled with the talent in the area, I think fans can expect to see successful seasons by 2017 or 2018.

Q: Now that we know who Durkin’s offensive and defensive coordinators are, and what systems the team will run, which players do you believe will benefit most from these new schemes?

Feather: One player who I think is really going to excell in Bell’s offense is running back Ty Johnson. As a high schooler and during his freshman year this fall, Johnson has displayed a knack for the big play, something he’ll have plenty of chances to do in Bell’s offense. While at Arkansas State, Bell utilized a kind of screen pass where instead of allowing the blitzers at the quarterback, the offensive line blocked and it was the responsibility of the wide receivers to block downfield. This kind of unconventional screen could give Johnson the chance to display that home-run ability because the defense isn’t as quick to recognize the play, giving him that extra split second of open field.

Kiesel: Whoever lines up at quarterback for the Terrapins will certainly benefit from Bell’s spread offense. It’s a system that relies heavily on short, quick passes with the chance for plenty of yards after the catch. Maryland’s quarterback will have the opportunity to rack up a lot of yards and put a lot of points up on the scoreboard. If he’s a runner, he’ll also be able to show off his legs.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Jesse Aniebonam will probably line up as the team’s “Buck”, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position. Durkin made Dante Fowler, Jr. into a 1st-round NFL draft pick by playing him at this position, where he could line up as a pass-rushing defensive end, as an outside linebacker, or even as an inside linebacker. Aniebonam has the versatility to be a star at this position for the Terrapins.

Q: Similarly, which rising sophomores are you looking for the most improvement from this season?

Feather: I am really looking forward to watching seeing how redshirt sophomore Damian Prince has progressed. Coming out of high school as a five-star recruit the expectations were sky-high, but after redshirting his freshman year, he met those expectations head on earning the starting job early last year and impressing with his talent and smarts before missing time with an injury. I expect Prince to be the anchor of what will be one of the most promising offensive lines Maryland has seen in recent memory.

Kiesel: Offensively, I’ll be watching Johnson and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Both had big freshman seasons, and will have the opportunity to shine in Bell’s new offense. Johnson has the speed to get to the edge out of the backfield, something Bell will certainly use to his advantage on outside zone runs, inverted veers, and screen passes. He may even put him in the slot and run some jet sweeps. Moore was one of Maryland’s best wideouts as a freshman, and is expected to start at split end for the Terrapins this season. His good speed coupled with his strong hands make him a perfect #1 receiver for Bell.

Defensively, defensive end Melvin Keihn stands out. The transfer from Virginia Tech has excellent pass-rushing skills, and should get a chance to play a big role on third-downs for defensive coordinator Scott Shafer’s defense. Another player to watch for is linebacker Tyler Burke. He got some extended playing time due to injuries last season, and could play a role this season. He was only a three-star recruit, but appeared in all twelve games last season as a redshirt freshman.

Zack Kiesel
Zack Kiesel

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: [email protected].

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