It’s unlike anything most people have ever seen. It’s something that happens so rarely that you can’t prepare for it. On Sunday, it was announced that Terps QB Caleb Rowe tore his ACL and will be out for the remainder of the 2012 season. He was the last available QB the Terps had on their roster. Let’s take a look at how this happened:

March 28, 2012: Danny O’Brien transfers to Wisconsin. C.J. Brown takes over as the starting QB.

August 15, 2012: C.J. Brown tears his ACL in a non-contact drill. Perry Hills takes over as the starting QB.

October 22, 2012: Perry Hills tears his ACL by way of an illegal hit by an N.C. State defender. Devin Burns and Caleb Rowe will share starting QB duties.

October 25, 2012: Devin Burns suffers a Lisfranc injury to his foot during the game vs. N.C. State. Caleb Rowe takes over as the starting QB.

October 28, 2012: Caleb Rowe tears his ACL in the next-to-last play of the game vs. Boston College. LB Shawn Petty takes over as the starting QB.

That’s right, a linebacker will be the Terps’ new starting QB this week against Georgia Tech. Most people thought that we would be talking about how the Terps defense would stop the triple option attack that the Yellow Jackets run. Now we’re talking about how well the Terps will be able to run the triple option with Petty at the helm.

What to Expect in 2012:

Shawn Petty played QB in high school, where he primarily ran a triple option offense. That is the offense that the Terps will adopt, taking advantage of Petty’s toughness and strength. One role that Stefon Diggs could play in this offense is as a wide back, taking outside handoffs and option pitches. This will allow the Terps to showcase their 4 capable running backs, Wes Brown, Justus Pickett, Albert Reid, and Brandon Ross. This offense will also take pressure off of the injury-ridden WR corps, who lost Marcus Leak for the season at the same time as Devin Burns. The Terps only need 2 more wins to become bowl eligible, and the season will all come down to how well they are able to run this option attack.

What to Expect in 2013:

The Terps will have a plethora of QBs to use in 2013, but when those QBs are available is another story. ACL tears take about 9 months to heal. Naturally each case is different, but 9 months is the average. That means that Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe would be barely able to start the 2013 season at full health. C.J. Brown should be fully healthy and ready to begin spring practice. Devin Burns will not be available to play until the middle of the 2013 season, as his Lisfranc injury can take up to a year to heal. But there are other QBs that come into the mix next year.

Ricardo Young and Dustin Dailey are both on the roster this year, but are unable to play due to NCAA eligibility rules. Young will be a junior next year, and is transferring from New Mexico, where he was coached by current Maryland Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley. He was a 3-star recruit in 2010, and was ranked as the #21 dual-threat QB in the country. Dailey is unable to play this year due to poor academics, and was a walk-on in 2012. He is at the bottom of the QB class entering 2013.

The other QB that will come into play in 2013 is Shane Cockerille. Cockerille will be a freshman in 2013, coming in as a very highly-touted 4-star QB. He will graduate from the Gilman School in Baltimore, MD this year. He is ranked by ESPN as the #16 dual-threat QB in the country. Cockerille could very well be the Terps starting QB next year.

Expect C.J. Brown and Shane Cockerille to enter spring camp as the favorites to start at QB in 2013. Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe will compete for backup jobs, barring any major injuries during camp. It’ll be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

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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