2007 Maryland Terrapins College Football Picks & Predictions


June 5, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

Through Ralph Friedgen’s 6-year tenure at Maryland, the Terrapins success has been directly tied to the experience of his starting quarterback. Friedgen always employs a sophisticated offense that allows the play-caller to recognize defenses and make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Redshirt junior Jordan Steffy emerged from the spring atop the depth chart, but will be pushed by sophomore Josh Portis, a touted transfer from Florida. Friedgen even stated that the starting job might not be decided until just before the season opener.

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Steffy impressed coaches with poise and leadership in the spring, along with improving his 40-yard dash time to 4.6 seconds. Portis is still a faster, more dynamic runner, but doesn’t have the poise that Steffy brings to the table on every down. Seniors Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore split time at tailback last season and combined for 1,558 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ball is a tough runner inside, and Lattimore is more of a breakaway threat to keep defenses off balance. Sophomore Darrius Heyward-Bey and junior Danny Oquendo are the only proven receivers. Heyward-Bey displayed his sprinter’s speed by posting a team-high 45 receptions for 694 yards and 5 TD grabs last year.

Maryland returns just six starters on defense, but the experience is still there. The Terrapins have 18 lettermen coming back including defensive tackle Dre Moore. The power 6-4, 311-pound senior was virtually unblockable during the spring. Maryland suffered a huge loss when senior middle linebacker Wesley Jefferson decided to forego his final year of eligibility.

Junior Chase Bullock and redshirt freshman Alex Wujciak had an intense battle during spring camp and showed they could combine to replace Jefferson . Weakside linebacker Erin Henderson had a brilliant first season as a Terrapin starter, leading the league with 114 tackles. Christioan Varner has been moved from free safety to strong safety to take advantage of his hard-hitting ability. Cornerback Isaiah Gardner, a Notre Dame transfer, is the other returning starter in the secondary.

Maryland has a plethora of returning talent on defense, but the team’s overall success will rest on Jardan Steffy’s shoulders. His ability to develop into a quarterback who makes plays and not mistakes for Friedgen will really tell the story for the 2007 season. The ACC is so deep, so an inexperienced quarterback means the Terps might have to get in line behind a bunch of conference foes this season. If Maryland gets many wins, the majority will come in upset fashion.

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