Maryland football has been trending in the right direction for the past three seasons under head coach Mike Locksley. Following a 3-9 season in Locksley’s first season at the helm in 2019, the Terrapins have finished 7-6, 8-5, and 8-5 in the last three seasons, respectively.
One big reason for this was the play of former Terps quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who left Maryland and the Big Ten as the all-time leader in passing yards for the esteemed football conference. Where do the Terps turn for leadership and play-making on the offensive side of the ball?
Locksley is wondering that himself.
Replacing The All-Time Passing Leader
For many college football programs, finding a quality leader under center who can lead the program for multiple seasons is difficult enough in this new age of the transfer portal and roster shakeups.
But when you find a staple at the most critical position on the field, how do you replace him when he’s gone?
Locksley wasted little time at Big Ten Media Days addressing the most glaring question facing Maryland football in 2024, and he was surprisingly honest in his assessment of the situation.
“All right, I know a lot of you guys are saying, ‘What are you going to do without Lia, man?’ I’m still trying to figure it out myself, which is why I lost my weight, and I got my comfortable and confident clothes on,” Locksley joked.
But after the lighthearted moment, Locksley got serious about the biggest unknown facing his program next season as it looks to compete for a Big Ten title.
“‘Lia left a tremendous legacy in that quarterback room. And a little-known fact, he and I met every day from the start of the season until our last game at 10 o’clock at night until 12, 1 o’clock in the morning. And the work ethic and the way he approached playing quarterback, he left a legacy in that quarterback room,” Shared Locksley.
The Terps head coach continued by suggesting that it might be unrealistic to expect Maryland to have the same air attack it had with Tagovailoa under center and that the new-look Terps may be more defensive-minded as they look to dominate that side of the football.
“And now as we transition to becoming what I feel is a defensive-led team, where we have the seven returning starters that are coming back and a handful of other guys that have played some really significant minutes. I can tell you that Lia Tagovailoa played a huge role in the foundation that we’re building on to compete for championships.”
Maryland’s Options at Quarterback
Even if Maryland adjusts to being more defensive-oriented with all of its returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, it still needs to name a signal caller who can help lead the offense in 2024.
So, what does the Maryland quarterback room look like in 2024?
Billy Edwards Jr. and Cameron Edge will both return in 2024. They each played in the Music City Bowl in December for the Terps when Tagovailoa decided to sit out in preparation for the NFL combine.
Edwards Jr. earned most of the snaps but finished a dismal 6/20 for 126 yards and a passing TD. Edge came into the game later as Maryland led Auburn in the second half. Edge finished 4/6 with 82 yards passing, a TD, and an INT.
NC State transfer MJ Morris, a dual-threat quarterback who joined the Terps before the bowl game, is competing with Edwards and Edge for the quarterback position. Coach Locksley’s assurance that he would be immediately involved in the position battle drew him to Maryland.
“The first thing coach [Locksley] told me was that if I come here, it’s going to be a competition. And that’s what I loved about it because he was straightforward with me,” Morris said.
“He said, ‘The job’s not yours, you’re gonna have to work for it’. Everybody’s going to have to work for it here. The best man is going to be on that field,” Morris said of his conversations with Locksley.
The Terps also have two other returning quarterbacks on their roster, Jayden Sauray and Champ Long, neither of which has taken a snap during their career at Maryland.
Locksley opted to attend Big Ten Media Days without a quarterback as one of his three player representatives. Instead, Locksley was joined by senior wide receiver Tai Felton, senior linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Phillips.
As spring practice begins, Morris stands out with the most game experience of any Maryland quarterback, while Edwards is most familiar with the Terps’ offensive system.
The main takeaway is that Locksely is conducting a true quarterback competition and giving everyone involved plenty of time to prove their case. Coach Locksley has expressed that he won’t make an official decision until just before the season opener, an August 31 home matchup with Uconn.
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