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COLLEGE PARK — Minutes after the conclusion of Maryland soccer’s annual spring sport Saturday afternoon, the large video board inside SECU Stadium revealed that cornerback Tarheeb Nonetheless had been chosen within the fifth spherical of the 2024 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Nonetheless joined left deal with Delmar Glaze as Terps who had heard their names referred to as on this yr’s draft. Glaze had been chosen Friday night time within the third spherical by the Las Vegas Raiders.
For coach Mike Locksley, Glaze and Nonetheless raised the variety of gamers taken within the NFL draft throughout his tenure to 12, trailing solely Ralph Friedgen (27) for the best complete underneath a Terps coach for the reason that draft adopted a seven-round format in 1994.
Locksley seemed like a proud father speaking about Glaze and Nonetheless.
“I can’t say sufficient about these two sort of men,” he mentioned. “They’re what the Maryland soccer model has develop into. You noticed a man in Tarheeb who in highschool was a gifted receiver and had the talent set and transferred over [to the defense] and has performed ever since he bought off the college bus for us and has earned a chance to play on the subsequent stage.
“With DJ, the man had some highschool accidents, and possibly that’s why some individuals backed off of him. We believed in what we noticed out of him. To see a man that was a low three-star analysis get drafted within the third spherical, I feel it’s a testomony to the job our coaches like [offensive line coach] Brian Braswell has achieved of their improvement. So I need to congratulate each of these guys, and hopefully, we hear just a few extra names at the moment as this draft winds down.”
Listed here are three observations from Saturday’s remaining tuneup of spring, which the White workforce gained, 34-3.
Locksley confirmed that neither redshirt junior Billy Edwards Jr. nor redshirt sophomore MJ Morris distinguished themselves Saturday to begin underneath middle for Maryland’s season opener towards Connecticut on Aug. 31.
“We’re an extended methods away from naming a starter,” he mentioned.
Edwards started the primary two sequence for the White workforce, however each possessions went three-and-out. The offense underneath Morris, a North Carolina State transfer, adopted go well with underneath his first sequence earlier than dashing the ball 9 consecutive occasions capped by a 3-yard landing run by redshirt junior operating again Roman Hemby late within the second quarter.
By halftime, Edwards had accomplished 5 of 10 passes for 34 yards and been sacked as soon as. Morris linked on 1 of two throws for 9 yards and carried the ball as soon as for a lack of 1 yard.
Each candidates discovered their footing within the fourth quarter. Morris directed a seven-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a 13-yard landing move to sophomore tight finish Dylan Wade within the again left nook of the tip zone to present the White workforce a 21-3 lead.
After the Crimson workforce did not convert on fourth down-and-10 at its personal 20-yard line, Edwards’ 13-yard scramble arrange a 1-yard landing plunge by redshirt sophomore operating again Ryne Acheson for a 28-3 benefit.
Edwards mentioned the spring sport is a chance to work out the kinks, mentioning that Tagovailoa — the Massive Ten’s profession chief in passing yards (11,256) and No. 7 producer in passing touchdowns (76) and complete offensive yards (11,473) — threw for just one landing in final yr’s exhibition.
“It takes a while,” he mentioned. “We’re popping out right here and we’re not doing an excessive amount of, simply exhibiting the basics of our offense and our scheme.”
Edwards completed 6 of 14 for 36 yards and rushed 3 times for a lack of 12 yards, whereas Morris went 6 of 8 for 65 yards and one landing and carried the ball 4 occasions for 9 yards. Morris mentioned the main focus isn’t solely on him and Edwards as redshirt sophomore Cameron Edge (11 of 25 for 151 yards and one interception) and redshirt freshman Champ Lengthy (5 of 12 for 63 yards and one interception) helmed the Crimson workforce.
“On the finish of the day, it’s a contest between all of us,” Morris mentioned. “Like Locks says, no person gained the job at the moment. It’s nonetheless going to come back to whoever comes, and the primary sport of the season, that’s when he’s going to make the choice. We’re all competing, and on the finish of the day, we’re going to maintain on going.”
As a lot because the offense struggled, the protection stole the present.
The Terps pressured 4 three-and-outs within the first 5 possessions. Edwards was sacked twice, and Morris was sacked as soon as.
The protection additionally returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Freshman linebacker Keyari James picked off an errant move by Lengthy and took it 29 yards to present the White workforce a 14-3 lead with 12 seconds left within the second quarter. And Edge’s dump-off hit redshirt sophomore operating again Eli Mason within the fingers, permitting redshirt freshman cornerback Jonathan Akins to grab the ball out of midair and return it 90 yards for the ultimate rating with 23 seconds remaining.
Redshirt sophomore defensive finish Jordan Phillips, who led the Crimson workforce with six tackles and shared a sack of Edwards with junior linebacker Kellan Wyatt (Archbishop Spalding), expressed his admiration for the turnovers.
“I find it irresistible,” he mentioned. “It actually stems from working onerous, growing in observe week after week after week. I’ve seen these guys catch many a picks at observe earlier than. So for them to come back out right here and do it once more at the moment, I like that, and it was anticipated for them to do this.”
Locksley mentioned he wouldn’t flip down extra dominant performances from the protection within the video games that truly rely.
“I’ve no drawback with successful ugly,” he mentioned. “If our protection is shutting individuals out and we care for the soccer, it occurs. Now I’ll be the primary to inform you that we recruit actually gifted offensive gamers. So the completed product of what you noticed at the moment gained’t be anyplace near what it seems to be like. It’s simple to type of make assumptions primarily based on the spring sport. We had a really restricted sport plan. Our protection is the energy of our workforce proper now accurately.”
Hemby, the Edgewood native and John Carroll graduate who ranks third amongst lively Massive Ten operating backs in complete yards from scrimmage with 2,388, will probably begin at operating again. However redshirt freshman Nolan Ray may need earned extra reps.
Ray led all rushers with 96 yards on eight makes an attempt, together with a 49-yard scamper that arrange Morris’ landing move to Wade. Ray’s exhibiting was welcomed by Locksley after the operating again sat out final fall due to unspecified accidents.
“To see him out on the sphere at the moment, you guys lastly bought a glimpse of what now we have seen for the reason that day he bought right here,” Locksley mentioned. “He’s a big-play risk. He’s bought nice imaginative and prescient, steadiness, physique management. He seems to be like just a few of those Massive Ten operating backs that we’ve had round right here. I feel he will likely be a man that folks take discover of this yr.”
Contemplating the uncertainty at quarterback, counting on the run sport is perhaps the prudent transfer for the Terps. And that would appear to clarify why Locksley hired former Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz as an offensive analyst.
Locksley mentioned he plans to lean on Ferentz to assist dissect and invigorate the dashing offense.
“Wherever he’s been, he’s been part of operating the soccer,” he mentioned. “What we do is what we do. He’s coming in as an analyst, and he’ll make options. He has a talent that I like. The emphasis for me is, how can we develop the run sport on offense? To have a Brian Ferentz who has been part of a number of the greatest offensive strains and a number of the greatest run video games giving concepts of how they did it so as to add to a number of the stuff we already do, it’s a win for me. And he got here low-cost.”
Season opener
UConn at Maryland
Saturday, Aug. 31, TBA
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce quarterback MJ Morris confers with teammates early within the sport. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. Crimson workforce operating again Colby McDonald is tackled by White workforce’s Alex Moore in first interval motion. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. Crimson workforce quarterback Cameron Edge throws within the first half. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., left, talks with teammate Dylan Wade, proper, early within the sport. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. Terps head coach Mike Locksley. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. Terps head coach Mike Locksley in the course of the sport. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce quarterback MJ Morris, proper, fingers the ball off to Roman Hemby in first half motion. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
April 27, 2024: College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., middle, huddles with teammates within the first quarter. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
April 27, 2024: College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., left, talks with teammate Dylan Wade, proper, early within the sport. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., middle, huddles with teammates within the first quarter. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. White workforce defensive again Lavain Scruggs, left, tackles Crimson workforce tight finish Darius Grimes in first quarter motion. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
College of Maryland soccer, Crimson vs White groups. Crimson workforce quarterback Cameron Edge, proper, fingers the ball off to Eli Mason, left, in 2nd half motion. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Workers)
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