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Mike Locksley wants to see progress, and he expects to notice it immediately.
The third-year head coach at Maryland didn’t hide his expectations for the program during B1G Media Days. He believes the talent is on the roster and the schemes are in place for the Terrapins to take a big step during the 2021 season after back-to-back years under .500.
Heading into the campaign, it’s hard to argue this is the most talented Maryland team Locksley will be coaching. Will that translate to more wins on the field? That’s still the question.
Maryland showed flashes of improvement last year, overcoming a big deficit to defeat Minnesota and stunning rival Penn State in Happy Valley. The Terps still struggled with consistency, though. That needs to be corrected if this team wants to go bowling at the end of the year.
Here’s a look at five bold predictions for Maryland heading into 2021:
1. The defense will be the best we’ve seen under Mike Locksley
It was just a spring game, but Maryland’s defense looked really solid a few months ago. It should give the Terrapins some hope that they’ll be able to keep opponents out of the end zone to some degree this year, which hasn’t been the case in Locksley’s first two seasons. At each level of the defense, Maryland has some talent.
The defensive line might be the deepest it’s been with Ami Finau, Mosiah Nasili-Kite and Sam Okuayino anchoring the front. Ruben Hyppolite is the unquestioned leader of an inexperienced, but talented, linebacker corps and Nick Cross is considered one of the top defensive backs in the B1G.
Are there still some gaps? Obviously. But this should be a much-improved defense from the past two seasons.
2. Multiple receivers will be All-B1G selections
Wide receiver is easily the best position group in College Park entering the season. It’s probably overkill to say Maryland has an “embarrassment of riches” in the room, but it does have incredible skill at the position.
All five of the team’s leading receivers from last season return. Dontay Demus Jr. leads the way after totaling 365 yards and 4 touchdowns on 24 catches. Former 5-star recruit Rakim Jarrett flashed his potential with 17 receptions for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brian Cobbs, Jeshaun Jones and Darryl Jones are all great options for Taulia Tagovailoa, as well.
Because of Maryland’s talent at the position, Locksley is going to throw the ball around quite a bit. We’ll see these receivers quite a bit and it’ll result in plenty of postseason accolades.
3. The rushing attack will be the worst in the conference
Maryland’s ground game was serviceable a year ago, averaging 145 yards per game and ranking No. 9 in the B1G. That’s not great, but with the weapons in the passing game, it at least kept defenses honest at times throughout the season. That’s probably not going to be the case this year, unless something drastic changes.
The offensive line is the weakest unit on the team and there’s some question marks surrounding the running backs. Tayon Fleet-Davis and Peny Boone are probably the two guys that will carry the heaviest loads for the Terps this fall. And while both are talented, it doesn’t matter if the offensive line can’t open up holes to run through.
4. No wins in the month of October
The October slate for Maryland can be summed up in one word: Brutal.
Maryland will play No. 18 Iowa, No. 4 Ohio State, Minnesota and No. 17 Indiana over a five-week stretch. It’s hard to find an upset in that mix. Yes, it’s a pretty negative outlook for the month, but it’s also just bad luck in terms of scheduling.
There are plenty of winnable games for the Terps on the schedule, but none of them are in October.
5. Maryland still misses a bowl game
Locksley talked about “No BCEs” this year: No bitching, complaining or excuses. He wants this program to take the next step and start competing at a B1G level. Even though Maryland is still a relatively young team at multiple spots, it should have the talent across the field to be the best it’s been in awhile.
However…
That doesn’t necessarily result in a bowl appearance. The schedule is not an easy one for Maryland. The Terps play West Virginia to open the season, draw Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois in crossover games and will still have to take the field against Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Indiana. Carving out six wins isn’t going to be easy.
It’s not impossible for Maryland to finish .500, but it just doesn’t seem very likely. That doesn’t mean we won’t see progress out of Locksley’s squad, though.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB