Terps Q&A with Local Writers and Analysts

With Maryland Football coming up on National Signing Day, and Maryland Basketball in their last stretch of Atlantic Coast Conference play, Baltimore Sports and Life has reached out to other Terps writers and analysts across the web for their thoughts on the two programs.

We would like to thank Jeff Ermann from Inside MD Sports, Chris Garman from PressBox, Pete Volk from Testudo Times, and Michael Willis from TerrapinStationMD for contributing to this Q&A.

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

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The Terps’ men’s basketball team has been more than a little disappointing this season. After a pre-season full of high hopes, the team has failed to live up to even the most reasonable expectations that people had for them. What do you believe is the biggest reason for their collapse this season, and how do you believe they’ll end up finishing?”

Ermann: “It’s difficult to pinpoint the biggest reason, because they’ve had various problems on both ends of the court at alternating times. Offensively, the lack of a true point guard and a scoring big man have caused problems. They’re not turning the ball over as much as last season, but they’re turning it over plenty, and the offense lacks flow. On the other end, they’ve struggled to defend the perimeter. Opponents have feasted from 3-point range.”

Garman: “The blame can be spread all around for Maryland’s struggles this season.  They have had several areas of weakness so far and when it seems like one is resolved, another comes to light.

I would first look to their lack of interior presence.  Shaquille Cleare and Charles Mitchell have not been dependable big men for the team, especially Cleare.  Both have struggled on the defensive end of the floor and have been mediocre at best on offense.  Mitchell has played well in stretches, but hasn’t been consistent enough for the Terps to fully get things rolling.

Next, I look to their dependability on shooting the three, especially against zone defenses.  They haven’t got high percentage shots against the zone and when they don’t make three’s, they don’t win.  They need someone on offense to take the reins and get the team going.  The two prime candidates for this are Dez Wells and Seth Allen, who are the biggest playmakers the Terps have.

Finally, some accountability falls back on Mark Turgeon and the coaches.  Turgeon likes having depth on his bench, but he can at times go too deep too often.  By continuously subbing players in and out, it’s tough for the players to find a rhythm and it’s something that has become clear over the past two seasons.

The team rarely makes adjustments in-game adjustments that help lead to positive performances.  That can be attributed to both the coach and the players.”

Volk: “I think there’s a deep-rooted problem in how the roster was built. The individual talents on this team are undoubtedly remarkable, but Maryland has a lot of different guys that kind of all do the same thing (and nobody who can play power forward, or arguably center). There are going to be some teams throughout the season whom they can beat because of the specific makeup of that talent, but they don’t have enough versatility to adjust to different styles of play across from them. Some of that has been mitigated by the return of Seth Allen, but most of the same problems remain.”

Willis: “This season has been pretty rough for Maryland basketball, I’ll grant you that. They’ve lost four of their last five games after dropping a home loss to Pittsburgh, and unless they can do the unthinkable and win at Miami, it’ll be five of six. There are a plethora of reasons why this team is collapsing (terrible defense on the perimeter, inconsistent shooting, the pieces don’t fit), but if I have to go with one it may well be that our big men haven’t developed.

Rather, it’s that Shaq Cleare hasn’t developed. Maryland making the tournament was contingent on at least one of the big men making a large enough leap to replace Len’s points, blocks, great free throw shooting, and even better help defense. I said before the year that I didn’t think the stats warranted such high expectations from Cleare, and I though Maryland might miss the tournament because of that. It turns out that’s true. For a team that relies so much on perimeter players (Layman, Smotrycz, Faust), not having a big guy down low to space the floor is damning. Look at Georgetown without Josh Smith.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Over the past few weeks, many people have been calling for Mark Turgeon to be fired. Most of us know that something like that wouldn’t happen for a few years due to the length of his contract, Maryland’s financial situation, and his recruiting prowess. However, how do you personally evaluate Mark Turgeon’s season so far, and does he need to make any changes to his demeanor or coaching style to get better results on the court?”

Ermann: “I doubt he’d tell you it’s been a successful season. As far as his demeanor, I’m not sure how much of a change it would make; he’s tried various approaches. It’s still a relatively young team and is appears to be a group of players collectively lacking focus and intensity. But all of the blame can’t be placed on the players — Turgeon’s the one who recruited them.”

Garman: “He needs to get better with making adjustments throughout the game.  Too many times when the team struggles to find quality shots, he doesn’t enforce any adjustments to help change this.  He lets the players continue to fire away and hopefully shoot their way out of it.

He also needs to cut down on his rotations.  It’s nice to have four or five guys on the bench that you can depend on, but when the team is in a dogfight, he needs his best guys out there as much as possible.  An example of this working is in the Notre Dame game where in the second half he cut down the minutes of Roddy Peters and a few others.  Each game it’s going to be different and not the same guys need reduced minutes each game, but it’s all about who is playing well on that given day.

I am a supporter of Turgeon at this point and believe he can get the job down, but those feelings seem to take a hit each week as the team continues to struggle.  I still believe Maryland can go on a run and string together a few wins for a NIT bid, but that’s about as far as they will go.”

Volk: “The season is far from over but I think it’s hard to call it anything but a failure. Maryland would need a miracle to make it into the NCAA Tournament at this point, and that was certainly the minimum goal that was set before the year. I’d rather not make suggestions on anyone’s demeanor, or how they motivate people, because that’s not really an exact science and I see no reason why any of us could be qualified to criticize in that regard. In the tactical side of things, however, I think there’s a lot of work to be done on how Maryland rotates, and I believe that Evan Smotrycz needs to play a whole lot less, especially when Jake Layman is also on the floor. He’s a gigantic liability defensively, and even offensively he’s essentially a 6’9″ Logan Arnohalt who can’t dribble.”

Willis: “It’s difficult to evaluate a coach in medias res, because who knows how the season will continue to play out, but right now I’d say Turgeon is performing below his expectations. At 11-9 and 3-4 in the ACC, there’s no doubt that the team isn’t where Turgeon envisioned it being, especially since he mentioned the NCAA tournament as the end goal during the preseason. On one hand, I cannot fault Turgeon for being a product of circumstance. Losing a lottery pick, an ace three point shooter, a very underrated and effective senior big, and a senior starting point guard wouldn’t hurt Kentucky. But anyone with even a cursory grasp of reality understands that Maryland isn’t Kentucky, and it’s going to hurt.

Now, you could argue that the Terps pieces aren’t fitting together and there hasn’t been enough player development. Those two things are undoubtedly on Turgeon. In the first instance, it’s clear to me the players aren’t fitting together as well as we thought they might. Even with Seth Allen returning, I’ve yet to see the team click on all cylinders. Maybe that’s because they don’t. Maybe it’s because (and this is the second instance) Turgeon has had some recruiting misses. Cleare, who still needs more time at least, Mitchell, Smotrycz, and even Layman. Maybe these guys aren’t who we thought they were. Turgeon’s evaluating has to come into question here.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The basketball team’s 2014 recruiting class is being ranked as a Top 10 class by most recruiting analysts. With players like Romelo Trimble and Jared Nickens, the class looks stellar on paper. Which freshman do you think will have the biggest impact on the team in his first season, and what are your overall thoughts on the class as a whole?”

Ermann: “Trimble, by far, appears to be most ready to make an impact. He’ll play meaningful minutes as a freshman and I won’t be surprised if he earns a starting spot. It’s a strong class, but most view it more as a long-term stock than a group of immediate-impact players. Trayvon Reed is a potential pro because of his height and athleticism, but he’ll need some time to develop. That said, with the lack of production in Maryland’s frontcourt, he may have to play as a freshman. Jared Nickens and Dion Wiley are both talented shooters who similarly look like they’ll need some seasoning.”

Garman: “The guy I look at having the biggest impact right away is Trayvon Reed for one simple reason, you can’t teach 7-foot.  His size will give the team an interior presence to protect the rim, something the miss this season with the departure of Alex Len. Jared Nickens is also a guy I see having an impact early as he will be able to help bring size and stretch the floor with his shooting ability.

This recruiting class for Maryland is ranked in the Top 10 and from what I’ve seen it’s well deserved.  This class has talent and will be able to help the team in a variety of ways.

Since the team this year will not lose many players, bringing in such a talented class will help push the returning payers on a daily basis.  You would expect these young players to come to College Park hungry with a lot to prove which could push guys like Mitchell, Layman and Faust to get better.”

Volk: “The class has some very, very talented players, but I worry again that the needs of the team aren’t properly addressed. Maryland has a ton of shooters already, and while the addition of Trayvon Reed should help in the frontcourt, who’s nowhere near ready to see a lot of time at the collegiate level. If Turgeon decides to go full Villanova with four guards, that could certainly work, but if they stay in their same slower system (with someone like Smotrycz or Mitchell or Graham occupying the four slot), it’s hard to see the plan working. Maryland has a ton of athletes, and the offense is seemingly holding them back — their most effective play has been a backdoor alley-oop, but they haven”t quite yet gone all out with it.”

Willis: “Having seen Romelo Trimble play quite a bit, I can honestly say that he’s probably going to make the biggest impact. I don’t want to hamper you with unrealistic expectations, but Trimble may well be a McDonald’s All-American and potentially the best guard on the roster already. Lightning quick release, improved handle, supremely clutch and (best of all) a very high basketball IQ.

While Dion Wiley shows potential and Jared Nickens can shoot and defend, Melo Trimble is the five-star, blue chip of the class. With that billing should come some scoring from the point guard position and improved ball handling. I think that’ll be noticeable from the get-go.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “In most people’s minds, the Big Ten is the best college basketball conference so far in 2013-14. With teams like Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan, the Terps are going to have their hands full in their first year in the new conference. How do you see Maryland finishing next season, and what to they need to do differently to avoid collapsing like they did this season?”

Ermann: “Obviously, if they play like they have this year, they won’t finish well. It’s hard to project because you’d hope the team will look different next year. Guys like Jake Layman, Seth Allen and Shaquille Cleare need to make big strides this off-season and the team needs to improve as a whole in order to compete with the top-echelon teams you mentioned.”

Garman: “It’s hard to say at this point.  It they stay on the trend they’re currently on, it won’t be a good first season in the Big Ten.  The returning players and recruiting class gives a lot to be hopeful about, but the biggest question will be can the Terps adjust to a new style of play.

The Big Ten is a defensive conference and that’s something Maryland will need to greatly improve on.  They will need to be able to keep games in the 50’s and 60’s to have a chance to win.  The ability to defend and win games in the half court are the things that makes me one of those that believes that the Big Ten is the best conference in college basketball.”

Volk: “I think Maryland is certainly going to better next season — they have no seniors currently, and the four recruits coming in are very talented. I think they’ll finish in the top half of the conference, but it’s hard to imagine all the problems this year disappearing quickly enough that they have a better season than that.”

Willis: “It’s a funny thing, competing in a different conference. On the one hand, when you recruit players you clearly bring in a specific type of player to compete within that conference. You know, guys who play an “ACC style” of basketball. Well, that gets thrown out the window when you switch conferences. And a lot of times it can go really well. Pitt and Syracuse have made a seamless transition to the ACC after being assaulted in the Big East for years.

The Big Ten is plenty good, but Maryland has an element of surprise (and momentum) going for them. This is just another Big Ten season for Ohio State, but for Maryland it’s their first new conference in over 50 years. Plus, they’ve got super athletic players who could surprise a Wisconsin or a Minnesota. Maryland typically finishes in the middle of the pack against ACC competition. I can’t see them doing much differently against Big Ten schools.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Randy Edsall’s squad had a productive season in 2013, finishing with a 7-6 (3-5 ACC) record and a loss to Marshall in the Military Bowl. They started off very strong, earning their first Top 25 ranking in the Randy Edsall era, but with injuries to Stefon Diggs, Deon Long, Dexter McDougle, Jeremiah Johnson, and others, it was a big accomplishment for them to become bowl eligible and reach 7 wins. How do you evaluate the football team’s 2013 season, and how does that bowl berth help them moving forward?”

Ermann: “I’d grade it “incomplete.” There were a lot of ups and downs, some of which were caused by the injuries. But there’s no objective way to say they would have done this or that if not for all of the injuries, so I don’t think the record can be used as an accurate gauge. It’s nice to make a bowl game, and it’s a step in the right direction, but ultimately I don’t believe losing to Marshall in the Military Bowl has a major effect.”

Garman: “All things considered, I would say the team had a successful season.  They battled through injuries and were still able to put together seven wins, but the outcome in the bowl game was a bit disappointing.  Even with the injuries at that point in the season, I still feel like the Terps should have been able to beat Marshall.

C.J. Brown had a great season and his ability to build chemistry with the receivers minus Long and Diggs is a great sign moving forward.  The youth in the secondary is also a positive sign moving into next season.  With injuries occurring almost every game early in the season, Edsall and the players were able to keep pushing along and get into a bowl game that definitely helped the program.

It gave the players an opportunity to experience playing in a bowl and all that comes with it.  It gave them a taste and for the players who return next season, it will make them hungry to make a bowl next season and redeem themselves.  It also shows progress for the program and should help with recruiting.  Now when Edsall goes out to recruit, he can use the bowl bid as a sign of progress and show the potential recruits that the team is moving in an upward direction as they head to the Big Ten.”

Volk: “I think the season was a success, especially considering the injuries. We talk about the ones that held out players for the season, but C.J. Brown played hurt (and poorly) for quite some time, and that completely changed how Maryland’s offense functioned. In terms of moving forward, we’ll have to see how this recruiting cycle finishes out — a Military Bowl loss isn’t likely to grant you all that much in terms of bragging rights, but showing that the program is going in the right direction will.”

Willis: “Hey, 7-6 is bowl eligible, and regardless of what your expectations have been, that’s a step in the right direction for everyone. Considering how injured the Terps have been the past two seasons, to persevere past all that adversity says wonders about how this team responds to Randy Edsall. It also speaks to the character of the players he’s bringing in. These guys are winners, and even though they may at times be injury prone, from top to bottom the recruits that come in are committed to excellence. I think, for the future, that’s a good thing.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The team returns most of its key players in 2014, and the offense will gain a few with the additions of Wes Brown and Marcus Leak. How will that continuity help this team, and who do you believe will have to have the biggest impact in order for the Terps to compete in the Big Ten?”

Ermann: “There’s a lot of continuity on offense. On paper, it looks like one of the most explosive offenses Maryland’s had in recent memory. The biggest impact, or variable, is the line play. The Big Ten is a physical league and Maryland doesn’t have the sort of beef many of those programs have. The offensive line is of the biggest concern; it’s been poor in recent years and they’ll be relying on some new players helping immediately there.”

Garman: “When you see the players coming back for the Terps, it’s easy to be excited about their potential impact during their first season in the Big Ten.  Wes Brown and Marcus Leak returning will add more depth to their respective positions and are guys that have proven to be solid players.  One thing that becomes a positive when a team has several injuries is that more guys get valuable game experience.  This game experience could pay major dividends heading into next year.

When looking for a guy to make the biggest impact next season, you have to look at C.J. Brown being that guy.  He was the team’s most important player this season and I think he’ll be the same next season.  The offense has a completely different look when he is on the field because of his dual-threat capability.  He was able to utilize the weapons available to him and next season he should have even more around him.  The team will go as far as CJ Brown takes them.”

Volk: “It’s going to be huge. Maryland has great talent returning on both sides of the ball, and their skill players on offense are among the most talented in the nation. The wide receiving unit is, once again, unbelievably talented (but this time unbelievably deep), and getting Brown back is huge for the offense. I’m going to cop out, however, and say that as Stefon Diggs goes, so does Maryland. He’s an incredible play-maker who can change games by himself, and if he’s on his game, that can only open up other parts of the Maryland attack.”

Willis: “Bringing everyone back (for the most part) is huge, because with all the roster turnover and transfers that have occurred in this program, stability is a welcome addition. Good teams have stability at positions and three to four year starters; Maryland is slowly getting there.

Rather than single out a single person for the biggest impact, I’m going to implicate the entire offensive line here. You’d have to be playing Cleveland Browns VS Seattle Seahawks in Madden to get sacked on hand offs, but we saw near that at times with the Terps. How are we supposed to know what our running backs can do or our quarterbacks and wide receivers can achieve if they don’t have the time to do it. Maryland needs more stability on the offensive front, doubly so in the Big Ten, to be competitive. With or without Damian Prince at the helm, the Terps have to improve dramatically on that front to maximize their potential.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “C.J. Brown had a good year taking the snaps for the Terps in 2013, and will return for his final season with the program in 2014. What were your overall impressions of his season, and what do you think he needs to most improve on in the off-season?”

Ermann: “He had a strong season — the best in years for a Maryland quarterback. He almost singlehandedly won them game at Virginia Tech. The one glaring area for improvement is his arm strength. You don’t typically see older quarterbacks suddenly develop rocket arms, but he does need to continue improving in the passing game. Having one of the country’s best receiving corps won’t hurt.”

Garman: “When Brown was healthy, he was a difference maker for the Terps.  The prior season when he was out with a torn ACL, a reliable quarterback was Maryland’s biggest weakness and that was a void he filled in a hurry in 2013.  He made plays through the air and on the ground to help the team reach the Military Bowl.  His signature performance came at Virginia Tech when he played a stellar second half that let the Terps to a comeback win.

Heading into next season, he just needs to continue the causal progression of a quarterback.  He needs to continue learning how to read defenses and better his decision-making.  Brown was at his best when making plays on the ground and he needs to find the best way to have an equal balance between the two.  At times he seemed too timid running the ball and at others he relied on it too much.

Brown needs to continue being the same leader he was on and off the field last year.  He is Edsall and the Terps’ biggest asset as they head into a new chapter of the program’s history.”

Volk: “As I alluded to earlier, Brown’s injury was huge throughout the season. Randy Edsall said that he really was healed in the week leading up to the Virginia Tech, and the difference in his game (and as a result, Maryland’s) showed. I was impressed by his season, especially the first and final sections, but think he needs to work on his accuracy and decision making ahead of the new season.”

Willis: “Remaining healthy for an entire season has to be key for Brown, and improved conference play needs to happen as well. Statistically speaking, Brown has been a terrible in-conference quarterback; in nearly every category he’s average (rushing yards, completion percentage, yards per attempt, etc.). He’s got two total ACC victories during his entire time at Maryland, and that’s not good enough. The ACC had a up year last season, but the Big Ten is almost assuredly going to be tougher. Brown should want to improve his game during conference play rather than regress as a player.

But in order to remain healthy, Brown needs to avoid those punishing hits (for one) and get rid of that ball a lot quicker. If he does those two things, maybe he’ll stay healthy for a full season and give Maryland his best play 100% of the time. That, in turn, could give Maryland a few more wins.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “While Randy Edsall and his staff missed out on 5-star recruit Jalen Tabor, they are still very much in the hunt for 5-star offensive lineman Damian Prince, who will announce his decision on National Signing Day. What do you believe the chances are that Maryland lands Prince, and what are your impressions of the class as it stands right now?”

Ermann: “They’re still in the hunt with Prince, but he’s not showing his hand and several schools — most notably Florida, Penn State and South Carolina — are making late charges. The class isn’t bad, but they do need to add several players to top it off after losing on Tabor and seeing two of their better recruits, Jonathan Thomas and Jared Cohen, de-commit. They’re still trying to bring Cohen back into the fold.”

Garman: “As of 2 or 3 weeks ago, I thought Maryland had as good of a chance as anyone to land Damian Prince.  They are still alive in his recruiting, but I think he ends up at Penn State.  With the job that James Franklin has done over the past couple weeks getting recruits to flip their commitments and now Prince is scheduled for an official visit, I have a feeling Franklin gets his first 5-star to come to Penn State.

As a whole, this years recruiting class for Randy Edsall has been a bit of a disappointment.  He still got some talented players like DE Jesse Aniebona and WR Juwann Winfree, but he lost out on a lot of in state talent.  After OG Jared Cohen withdrew his commitment, Edsall now only has one of the Top 20 players in Maryland.  To make matters worse, six will be going to Big Ten schools next year.  If Edsall can land Prince, it will change everything because he will end up with top two players in the state.”

Volk: “I think it’s about 33/33/33/1 right now, with Maryland, South Carolina and Florida as those first three numbers and “the field” as the last. There are a lot of folks who like to read into minutiae at this point in the process, and I think it’s easy to forget that these players are just kids who usually truly don’t know what they’re going to do. I like Maryland’s chances, but it’s an open race still. In terms of the class at large, I’m at ease with it at the moment, but that could change either way depending on how it plays out. All of the big names (Jesse Aniebonam, Derwin Gray, Juwann Winfree, Will Ulmer, Larry Mazyck) are great prospects, but I’m also high on a bunch of the other kids — in particular, Josh Woods, Tyler Burke and Brendan Moore.”

Willis: “Damian Prince is going to be a tough one to land, especially given that G.A. Mangus over at South Carolina is making such a heavy push (to say nothing of Tabor at Florida) and Maryland’s been having a tough time with their O-Line coaching search. Prince is still very much in the running to go to Maryland, but I think the Terps are tied for first with the two prior schools now. I’d say Maryland has as good a shot as anyone, but they’re trending downward.

Personally, I love the Terps class. Jesse Aniebonam is an absolute stud for the defense, and the offensive line should get a huge boost from Derwin Gray and an underrated but experienced Larry Mazyck. Plus, they picked up an All-American quarterback in Will Ulmer. The class may be 11th in the Big Ten, but those kind of stats don’t matter much to be if the quality of player the Terps bring in equate to on-field success. I think these are immediate impact players who help the team out drastically, and for that I give Edsall a B+. It’s not easy to lure studs to an injury prone team that just lost to Marshall in a bowl game.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The football team announced the hiring of 3 new positional coaches this past week. Chad Wilt will coach the defensive line, and Keenan McCardell will coach the wide receivers. Dave DeGuglielmo was supposed to coach the offensive line, but already jumped back to the NFL. What are your thoughts on each of these new hires, and how do you think they will help their respective units? Also, who do you believe are the leading candidates for the offensive line coaching vacancy?”

EDIT: This Q&A was sent out before the hiring of Greg Studrawa was made official.

Ermann: “Wilt appears to be an up-and-comer. He coached a strong unit at Ball State, one that averaged nearly three sacks a game and contributed to a 10-win season. He’s also a recruiter. McCardell is a bit of a wild card, as he’s never coached on the college level before. But it can’t hurt to show recruits Super Bowl rings, and again, it would be difficult not to be successful with he group of receivers he’ll be coaching. DeGuglielmo’s departure was sudden and I’m not sure there is a top candidate yet. They’ve kept their coaching searches very quiet.”

Garman: “Since so many of Edsall’s assistants left for better positions, it shows that he brings on board some very good coaches.

Keenan McCardell is going to a great asset to this coaching staff and should be able to do great things with Maryland’s receivers.  Bringing NFL experience as a player, one that most of these guys have heard of and respect, he should be able to help guys like Diggs and Long make strides towards making it to the next level.

Chad Wilt will be good for the development of the players on the defensive line, but he is also an experienced recruiter.  He was previously a defensive line coach and recruiting assistant at Ball State University. Being a native of Carlisle, PA he will be able to tap into some resources in Pennsylvania.

Finally, the addition of Greg Studrawa as the offensive line coach will bring a winning pedigree to the program.  Winning a national championship at his previous position at LSU, Studrawa should be the right piece to help put together an improved offensive line from a year ago.”

Volk: “I love both hires — Wilt is an up-and-coming young coach who I believe will have a bigger job sooner rather than later and will pick up right where Gattuso left off, while McCardell has an incredible amount of NFL experience and should be able to impress recruits (and help the receivers on the team). In terms of candidates for the vacancy, the team has managed to keep an extremely tight ship on nearly all of their moves, so any names would be pure speculation. Some popular names tossed around as potential options have been McDonogh offensive line coach (and former Raven) Spencer Folau, former Edsall UConn hire Mike Foley and former Terp Donnie Woods.”

Willis: “Chad Wilt: I was a little disappointed that Maryland didn’t land a slightly larger splash on the defensive line, but I totally get the hire. Landing a major name requires lots of money, which the Terps don’t have. Instead, going with an under-the-radar hire whose work and track record are proven might be the best cost-benefit approach. The MAC may not be the best conference, but coaches from there know how to do a lot with a little. When they get lots of talent, good things tend to happen.

Keenan McCardell: Wide receivers coaches are personality managers as much as they are teachers. It’s a diva position, and McCardell has seen it all. He’s got a track record of success (helped the Redskins out big time during his coaching stint there) and a plethora of experience to draw upon. Plus, he’s got connections locally. What player wouldn’t want to come play for a guy with NFL connections and heaps of advice?

Greg Studwara: Retained by LSU or not, I don’t care. Studwara is a very good coach who did great work at Bowling Green before LSU, and has a national championship under his belt as well. I like Studwara from a recruiting perspective since he knows the south, and his schemes translate well to Maryland’s style of play. If anyone can bring out the best in top tier talent, Studwara can do so. He may not be much of an offensive coordinator, but that’s not his job at Maryland. This was a high profile, SEC hiring, that Maryland got for cheap. Well done.”