One of the few bright spots for the Maryland Terrapins last season was their rushing attack. The coaching staff put an emphasis on getting bigger and stronger along the offensive line, which helped the team’s stable of running backs immensely. Former offensive coordinator and interim head coach Mike Locksley recognized this, and his offense ran the ball 71% of the time last season. While leading rusher Brandon Ross has moved on, the Terrapins are arguably even deeper and better at the position this season.
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Wes Brown (Redshirt Senior)
2016 Projection: Part of Rotation
2015 Statistics: 71 carries, 317 yards, 3 TD; 13 catches, 89 yards, 0 TD
Brown has had a rather rocky experience at Maryland, with multiple suspensions and disciplinary actions taken against him. However, it appears that he will be ready to go when the Terrapins open up their 2016 season against Howard in September. He has run for over 300 yards in each of the three seasons that he has played, and has scored 11 touchdowns over the course of those three seasons. His best season came in 2014, when he carried the ball over 100 times and amassed over 500 total yards and 6 touchdowns. He is a very powerful runner, better between the tackles than outside of them, though he does possess enough speed to get to the edge of opposing defenses.
I expect Brown to be a part of a three-man rotation at the running back position in 2016. There is too much talent at the position to keep one or two players on the bench, so I expect a true rotation of backs depending on certain situations. Brown should see time in short-yardage and goal line situations, or whenever offensive coordinator Walt Bell wants to be more physical with his rushing attack. It will be important for Brown to avoid further disciplinary action if he wants to have an impact in his final season with the Terrapins.
Ty Johnson (Sophomore)
2016 Projection: Part of Rotation
2015 Statistics: 35 carries, 250 yards, 3 TD; 2 catches, 30 yards, 0 TD
Johnson burst onto the scene as a freshman last season, and is poised for a breakout season in 2016. He was the third-string running back for the majority of the 2015 season, but still made a huge impact on the team’s rushing attack, averaging a whopping 7.1 yards per carry. Everyone knew about his speed before he took the field last season, as he was consistently clocked as running a sub-4.4 second 40-yard dash during his recruiting process. With that speed, there is always the threat that he will take it the distance whenever he touches the ball.
I expect Johnson to be a part of a three-man rotation at the running back position in 2016. He received the most carries of any running back during the team’s Red-White Spring Game, where he ran for 167 yards and a touchdown. He averaged an incredible 15.2 yards per carry in that scrimmage. He looks to be a perfect fit for Bell’s spread offense, as he can take advantage of defenses that are unable to load up the box due to the 3 or 4-wide receiver formations.
Trey Edmunds (Redshirt Senior)
2016 Projection: Part of Rotation
2015 Statistics: 47 carries, 185 yards, 3 TD; 1 catch, 8 yards, 0 TD
Edmunds comes to Maryland as a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, where he played his first three seasons. While his last two seasons have been nothing to write home about, his first season in Blacksburg was an extremely impressive one. That year, he ran for 675 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding 155 yards and 2 touchdowns on receptions. He is a very balanced player, physical enough to run between the tackles, fast enough to get outside, and a weapon in the passing game. He is Maryland’s biggest running back, standing at 6-foot-2.
I expect Edmunds to round out the three-man running back rotation in 2016. It seems likely that he will take over as the third-down back, though Brown has also served in that role. He is an excellent addition to Bell’s offense, and is a sort of middle ground between Brown’s power and Johnson’s speed. There is no telling which running back will receive the majority of the carries, as it should depend on certain situations. However, I am certain that all three of the players in the rotation will have an impact on the rushing attack this season.
Jake Funk (Freshman)
2016 Projection: Second-Team
2015 Statistics (High School): 249 carries, 2559 yards, 50 TD; 303 receiving yards, 7 TD
Funk was one of the first recruits in Locksley’s 2016 recruiting class, and committed before wrapping up one of the best seasons of high school football in the state of Maryland’s history. He amassed over 2,500 yards on the ground, scoring 57 total touchdowns last season for Damascus High School. He led his team to the Class 3A State Championship Game, where they defeated Dundalk High School. In that game, Funk ran for 270 yards and scored 7 total touchdowns, a state title-game record. Wisconsin was the only other Power Five school to offer him a scholarship, which Funk uses as motivation to get better.
I expect Funk to be the primary backup running back (the “fourth-string”, if you will) behind the three-man rotation. Due to the talent that is above him on the depth chart, he will have a tough time cracking into the rotation unless one of those three players gets injured. However, he will certainly play a role on special teams and be given the opportunity to contribute in 2017, when two of the three members of the rotation will be gone. One advantage that Funk will have this season is that he enrolled before spring practice began, giving him an edge on the other freshmen at the position.
Lorenzo Harrison (Freshman)
2016 Projection: Redshirt
2015 Statistics (High School): 110 carries, 1098 yards; 3 catches, 22 yards, 0 TD
Harrison comes to Maryland as a 3-star recruit out of Hyattsville, MD in their 2016 recruiting class. He committed to the Terrapins very early in the recruiting process, with Virginia being the only other Power Five school to offer him a scholarship. He comes to College Park from DeMatha Catholic High School, the powerhouse program just down the road from Maryland’s campus. His commitment is likely one of the first of many from DeMatha, as the years that former head coach Randy Edsall spent building a pipeline to the high school is finally paying off for new head coach DJ Durkin and his staff.
I expect Harrison to redshirt during his freshman season with the Terrapins, primarily due to the talent above him on the depth chart. Unlike Funk, he did not enroll early, placing him lower on the totem pole of freshmen at the position. There is a chance that he could play a role on special teams, but I would expect him to redshirt while preparing to make an impact during the 2017 season.
Laderrien Wilson (Freshman)
2016 Projection: Redshirt
2015 Statistics (High School): N/A
Wilson comes to Maryland as a three-star recruit out of Kissimmee, FL in their 2016 recruiting class. He is one of the many late additions from the state of Florida to the class by Durkin. He was originally committed to Virginia, but switched his commitment when the Terrapins showed interest in him. Durkin’s hire of former Virginia head coach Mike London also played a role in Wilson’s commitment.
I expect Wilson to redshirt during his freshman season with the Terrapins. Like Harrison, there is too much talent above him on the depth chart to make an impact in 2016. He will have an opportunity to make an impact during the 2017 season.
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.