Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“I thought that was our best practice of the spring. I thought they really came out focused today. They were energized. They were coachable and really tried to do the things the coaches asked them to do. We talked after the scrimmage about some things that happened in the scrimmage, and it was good they took the coaching. We just wanted to do some things at the end, like have a third-down period, just make it competitive, even though we were in a thud situation. Today was good. I thought we got a lot accomplished and they did a good job. We’ve learned a lot from that scrimmage, we told them some things and they came out and responded.”

On last Saturday’s scrimmage:

“There were good things that happened on both sides of the ball. The first play, it probably would have been a sack, but offensively we had a couple big plays in the first 14 plays and then we didn’t get anything until play 70. Defensively, we did some good things in there, but as we got further on in the scrimmage, there were those long touchdown plays. There were good things, but there were too many things that were inconsistent to sit there and say hey, you really feel good coming out of the scrimmage.”

On linebacker Cole Farrand:

“They’re letting him do more now. He’s out here doing the team plays; I don’t know if he’ll be doing any scrimmaging. He’s probably about where we thought he would be. We weren’t sure if we’d get him much during the spring, if we were going to get him at all, on any kind of scrimmage work. Any rep he can get is an advantage.”

On wide receiver Amba Etta:

“Amba’s getting better. I though Amba started off really well and then I thought he hit a bit of plateau. I started seeing him do some things in the last two or three practices to get back to where he was when we started the spring. He’s got ability and talent, and we’ve got to get him a little bit stronger. He’s a guy that I know is going to get better. It’s important to him and he wants to be good. He’s going to get better.”

On linebacker Marcus Whitfield:

“Marcus is stronger. He has a good feel for what we want out of him and what we’re going to try and do with him defensively. When you rush the passer, he can get in the throwing lanes and it’s about getting your hands up at the right time. He’s been impressive from that standpoint; he’s knocked a lot of balls down.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“Great weather; great day. It was good to have about 1,000 people here come out and watch. We’re very pleased, very happy. It gave us a chance to get out, and having people around for our first scrimmage of the spring – there were some good times and some bad times. We got a lot of situations covered, over 100 plays. We had some explosive plays offensively, which was good, but it wasn’t good from a defensive standpoint. The defense had their moments early on. It was good to see that we had guys that have the ability to make plays, and now we need to continue to work hard and get better.”

On the running backs:

“We’ve got some good competition there at running back. Brandon [Ross] is the starter right now, and Wes [Brown] isn’t out here right now, but Albert [Reid] is pushing. Brandon is a lot stronger out there this year. You don’t see him going down as easy as he did a year ago. That’s the thing that I’m starting to like, is we’re getting a lot more depth and competition at positions. When you have that, it makes it good because everybody has to work. We’re not anywhere near where we need to be from a depth standpoint, so we have competition at every position, but there’s competition [at running back]. Those guys know they have to work hard each and every day.”

On running back Brandon Ross:

“I think what happens with Brandon, is he’s one of those guys you can go inside, you can go outside with. That’s one of the things that we’re able to do and if he can stay healthy, that’s an added advantage. We have some guys who aren’t able to get to the outside; they’re more inside guys. When you have a guy like Brandon, who has the ability to run the sweep, stick his foot in the ground and get north or outrun people going to the sideline. Then what happens is he gets a crease up the middle with that burst or they get their hands on his leg, he can run through that. He can get you an extra five or 10 yards. I’ve just been pleased with Brandon’s focus because he’s better from a mental standpoint in the spring than what he was in the fall.”

On the offensive line:

“We’re making progress on the offensive line. I thought they did some better things today. The biggest issue we have is we’ve got to get them right technically with the technique and fundamentals. You can start to see it, and we’re not going to be where we want to be by the end of spring. This is going to be something they’re going to have to work on, on their own in the summer. We expect them when they come back for the fall to be better. I’ve been pleased with the progress. I’m not happy because we’re not where we want to be, but I can see some progress being made there.”

On defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson:

“We’ve got to get Quinton a little bit better. He kind of died a little bit at the end, but early on, he did make some plays. He’s another guy who’s worked hard and he’s gotten better. Now what he’s got to do is take the next step because we weren’t having any kind of rotation or anything today. Now we’ve got to get his conditioning a little bit better. Quinton has that ability to make plays, so that was good to see today.”

On playing at Dunbar High School:

“It was neat to see, when you look over and you see little kids, high school kids and their parents here. That was one of the things we wanted to do. We wanted to create more of a buzz about the University of Maryland football program here in Baltimore. There’s a lot of talented athletes here in the city and the county, and by coming up, we wanted to show our appreciation for them and who they are, and really get them to understand what Maryland pride is all about. When it comes time to continue to recruit players to come to Maryland, they’ll feel a little attachment and bond; that it’s something they grew up with. We’re all part of the state of Maryland and we all need to support each other, so it’s good for us to come up here and support the city of Baltimore and Dunbar High School.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

On the offense:

“I though Dustin [Dailey] did a good job taking all those snaps. We got things accomplished with the things we wanted to put out there. We got a lot in with the zone drill and the half-line drill, the inside run and all that. You practice and we’ll have a scrimmage on Thursday. When you practice, its guys getting their footwork down and everything else, which we need a lot of work at.”

On freshman defensive back William Likely:

“He’s a competitor. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and he’s very athletic. He’s got great feet, and he’s just got a really good knack. He’s been very well coached; you can tell, he’s been very well coached. He’s got good fundamentals, good technique and good patience. Like I said, the biggest thing is he’s a competitor. He plays a lot bigger than what he is and he plays with a chip on his shoulder.”

On junior Matt Robinson’s move to linebacker:

“Matt, when you look at him physically, he’s more suited to be an outside linebacker. In our opinion, when you watch him move and do the things that he does on the field, he’s more suited. You’re always trying to get your guys in the right position and we just felt after studying him and everyone else, and plus to get the best 11 on the field, that was the move to make. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’ll be a good move for us.”

On senior linebacker Marcus Whitfield:

“Marcus is getting better. I think he’s a little bit more confident now. He’s stronger and he’s gotten in the weight room and worked harder and put on some strength. He’s more comfortable because he understands the scheme and he knows he’s got competition behind him. I think he’s making improvement. We’ve still got to get him to do more. As we continue with these last 10 practices, it’ll be interesting to see if he can be one of those outstanding rushers for us.”

On Matt Robinson’s injury:

“He’s out there getting as many reps as he can. Plus he’s smart. That’s not something that’s going to hinder him; Matt’s a smart guy. He understands the defense and we’re getting him as many reps as we can. He’s just not going to have any physical contact, which isn’t an issue for me with what he’ll be able to do.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“I didn’t think today was as good a day as what we’ve had so far, but again, we’re getting things installed. It’s a lot of little things. We’ve just got to keep harping on paying attention to detail; fundamentals; techniques. When you watch the film you see improvement but then you see sometimes in the next play, and you think ‘What were they doing?’ It’s consistency, and that’s what we’re striving for. We don’t have the consistency after four days that I’d like to have on either side of the ball. That’s something that we’re going to have to continue to work at and that’s why we’re out here in spring to get that accomplished.”

On the team’s progress:

“I think there are guys that have been OK, but I don’t think there’s anyone, to me, through four practices who’s nailed it each practice. Hopefully once we get all the things installed, it’ll start to come together. Once again, this is what you have spring for. For guys to work to get better, and you can see guys getting better, but it’s a matter of getting back out here. They haven’t been doing any of these things since November. We’re getting back in the swing of things and seeing them do it.”

On quarterback Ricardo Young:

“He is a good athlete, but he’s got to pay attention, master the fundamentals and technique and be exact. These are the things he’s supposed to do. He hasn’t played in a while, and now he’s getting some reps under fire. We’ve got a chance to see how he’s handled that, and I think there’s been some good things that he’s done but he’s been inconsistent through four practices.”

On injured players:

“They’re coming along. The doctor’s told me that he’s pleased with where everyone is at right now. The big thing for those guys is to continue to really work hard and continue to do what the trainers ask them to do to get themselves healthy. We know by the time we get back in August that they’ll be fully ready to go in terms of practicing.”

On the wide receivers and defensive backs:

“I think there’s really good competition for those guys. That’s the big thing for them, is to really push each other in practice. For Stefon [Diggs], Nigel [King] and Deon [Long] to push [Jeremiah Johnson] and Dexter [McDougle], and for those guys to push them. I think the other thing is, I think J.J. and Dexter know they can’t rest on their laurels because I didn’t think Alvin [Hill] had a good day today, but I thought he had been playing pretty well, and then Will Likely has been playing well. So they know there’s competition, and the thing I like is they have been competing. They don’t think they’ve got something sewn up, and that’s the mentality everybody has to have. They’ve got to come out here each and every day and look to get better. As we get that, then we get the consistency, and then everything can come together.”

On the linebackers:

“You have guys who have ability like L.A. [Goree] and Bradley [Johnson], who are guys that have experience. It’s the little things with them. Abner [Logan], Brock [Dean], Shawn [Petty] — they’re out there and you can see they have ability, but they don’t have the experience and the knowledge that they need right now. You can see that they’re going to be good, but it’s just a matter of them continuing to work at it and not getting frustrated and continuing to get better. They have that ability. It’s the same thing you can see with [Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil], and Marcus Whitfield has the experience. Cudjoe is very athletic, and then you’ve got Alex [Twine], Avery [Thompson]. You can see the difference between the guys who have played and have experience versus the guys who haven’t played. But the guys who haven’t played do have ability and they’re pushing. It’s just a matter of them getting everything down.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“I thought there was some improvement made from Saturday, but still not enough. You could see that they — having watched the film, I hope they got a little better with the fundamentals and technique, but we still have a long way to go.”

On sophomore linebacker Shawn Petty:

“I think he’s done a good job. He’s making mistakes but he’s got a pretty good feel for what we’re doing there. Now we’ll be able to see what happens as we put the pads on. So far I’ve been pleased with how he’s picked things up so far. Like I said, he’s got a natural feel for the position, so hopefully he’ll just keep progressing.

“What he had to do is just — I don’t know too many people that could do what he did. He took it all in stride and went out and showed the kind of competitor he was. To go in and do that and not bat an eye, I was very proud of him. Having the chance to be around him, it didn’t surprise me because of how competitive he is and his athletic ability.”

On sophomore running back Brandon Ross:

“We want to try and get him to be an every-down guy. First, second, third down, short yards, goal line — we want him to really be able to do it all. He’s out there running hard. I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence. I think he understands the offense, and with that understanding and the confidence he gained from last year, we expect his production and his play to go to a higher level.”

On sophomore wide receiver Nigel King:

“I think the biggest thing with Nigel is confidence. That was the biggest thing, and that North Carolina game gave him a lot of confidence last year. You see him out there and how he’s carrying himself and handling himself on the field, it’s a big difference from a year ago. It’s just amazing what just a couple things will do to help a guy like that along. It’s good to see because he does have the ability, and now what I think will happen is he’ll continue to work really hard to achieve a level of productivity that his God-given ability will allow him to have.”

On junior defensive back A.J. Hendy:

“I think that’s where he belongs, at safety. Right now him and Sean [Davis] are splitting and we’ll he how that progresses, but he’s got the ability. The biggest thing that we told him is we need to see it out of him physically and to be a better tackler. That was really the only thing holding him back; he’s got the ability and he understands the game, but he’s got to put in the physical part and be a better tackler. He’ll get the opportunity this spring to show that.”

On junior linebacker Matt Robinson:

“He’s doing good. I think he’s understanding what the Sam position is all about and it’s great that we can have him out there getting reps, even if he doesn’t have any contact. Matt’s a smart football player; he picks things up really quickly. I don’t have any issues with him or him not being able to pick things up or adapt to what we want. It’s a better position for him.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening Statement:

“I thought they really tried hard today. I thought the effort was good. I was pleased with the approach that they came out here with and there was enthusiasm, so I was pleased with that. The one thing I just told the players was just that we’ve got to get a lot better. You could tell it was the first day. We’ve got to finish better; we’ve got to focus on the little things better. We’ll expect a big jump in terms of the fundamentals and the techniques in terms of doing all those little things.”

On Ricardo Young:

“I thought he did some good things. A lot of things he didn’t do well but again, it’s good for him to get out here. He showed good command of the offense. So many technical and so many little things for him to work on, and you can see that he’s kind of been away from it for a little bit. You can see the natural athleticism that he has. The thing that we have to get Ricardo to understand is, yes, he’s a very gifted athlete, but he’s got to learn to do the things technically the right way. He can’t just go back there and rely just on his athletic ability. If he doesn’t get the depth on his drops, then the timing on the passing game is not going to be there. If he’s not making the correct read or using the right footwork in terms of the run game it’s not going to time up.”

On who stood out:

“It’s hard to [judge] today. I don’t think Deon [Long], Will [Likely ]or Silvano [Altamirano] looked out of place. You saw them out there doing things and making plays. Again, I’ll reserve judgment and comments until practice four when they get the pads on.  The one thing I’ve been pleased with is how these guys have worked really hard in the five weeks; we made significant gains from a strength stand points in the five weeks of winter conditioning. Now we’ve got to carry that strength over to what they’re doing on the field.  Now we’re into the second phase with spring ball, but I was pleased with what they did in the winter and now we’ve got to have the same kind of intensity and the same type of production in spring ball.”

On the tight ends:

“I think it’s good that Dave [Stinebaugh] is finally healthy. He’s a guy that we feel like is going to be a blocker for us. Daniel [Adams] is kind of that hybrid type guy that is halfway between a tight end and a wide receiver. Again, we’ve got to go through the spring and see what he’s going to give us to see if we can create a package to get him in the ball game. That’s what we’re going to do this spring; find out what they can do and then find what type of package we can use to make them for effective.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening Statement:

“Well this will be the earliest that I have ever started spring, but for good reason. It allows us to start on Saturday; it allows us to take advantage of getting done April 12th and giving our players three weeks or so with the rest of the semester. Plus we get our summer program started sooner with the players. It also gives us the ability to take full advantage of the six-week spring evaluation period that we are allowed by NCAA standards. I think it will be good as well as we go: Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and then our players leave for spring break for a week. We will get six practices in and then their bodies will heal up a little bit. We will come back and go Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and then Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. I think it is a good schedule, a good mix. We are really looking forward to getting started.

“We have had good winter workouts that have taken place over the last five weeks. Guys have really worked hard, both in the weight room and when we have done our conditioning on the field once a week. They are in good shape and now it is time to get better fundamentally and technique wise. Get them to understand that they have to do their job and their job only. Master everything that they can in terms of their job. It will be a situation where we will have some guys who won’t be playing or partaking in everything this spring. Starting offensively; C.J. [Brown] will do some individual drills to start out with. We will see how he progresses doing those. It could progress to him getting in and doing some seven-on-seven. We will start him out with some individual work and see how he goes from there. Caleb [Rowe] and Perry [Hills] they won’t be able to do anything this spring from a football standpoint. Wes Brown will be out for the spring. He had his shoulder done, but he also had his ankle taken care of on Friday. He had some surgery there. We will hopefully have a healthy Wes Brown. The ankle was from an injury that followed him here to Maryland from high school, but that went well. Levern Jacobs won’t be doing anything this spring. We might be able to get him where he can do some routes on air. We will find that out a little bit later this week. Marcus Leak won’t be doing anything. Marcus has some injuries, but Marcus has some academic things that he has to sure up and take care of.

“Defensively Andre Monroe will be doing some individual stuff during practice and we will progress him from there. I’m not sure he will get into any contact stuff or team work. Matt Robinson will be able to do noncontact work when he is out there. C.J. [Brown], Andre [Monroe], and Matt [Robinson] will be able to do things. Wes [Brown], Cole Farrand, Perry [Hills], Marcus Leak, and Caleb [Rowe] will be out. Levern [Jacobs] hopefully we will be able to do a little bit with him on routes on air. Just from a position standpoint I think the only thing that we have done since we have talked last was Matt Robinson will be an outside linebacker for us, moving from the safety position. Really he is more suited for that position plus getting our best 11 on the field that is something that we thought would be the best for us. Taking a look at Matt right now he is weighing 234. He will probably get to 240 as he continues to train. He has the ability to do that. Alex Twine will stay at SAM. We will have Alex, Avery [Thompson] and Matt there. We will have good competition; we will have good competition all over.”

On expectations from Ricardo Young:

“Ricardo is going to get a lot of work. It will be good for Ricardo because he had to sit out because of the transfer. It will be good for him to get all of these reps and get him working to see where he will be able to fit in for us in the fall. We won’t let him get hit. We only have two quarterbacks for the spring between Ricardo and Dustin Dailey. We will keep those guys off limits. I am anxious to see him go out there and get to work every day and see what he can do and how far he can progress.

“From what I have seen he is a very good athlete, he can throw the football. We will see how accurate he will be this spring but like I said in terms of being a guy who can be a duel threat, he has those capabilities and that talent to be able to do that. He can do all of the things that we want to do with our offense. The other added dimension that he gives you is if he is back there and he drops back throwing the ball and things break down, he has more than enough speed and athletic ability to make a play. He will be able to make plays with his feet and his arm.”

On taking spring practices on the road:

“One of the things that we want to do is grow our brand throughout the area and state. March 30th we will be going up to Dunbar High School in Baltimore and work out on their brand new facility and field up there. On April the 6th we are going to go out to Middletown High School in Frederick to work out there. I felt it was important for us to go out and reach out to the community, rather than have them come down here. Like I said, I want to grow our brand more in different areas of the state. We hope to move them around each year. This year we wanted to get up into Baltimore because of the fact that we are going to be playing West Virginia up at M&T [Bank] Stadium this year. I wanted to establish more of a presence in the western part of the state there in Frederick. People there and in Hagerstown and even from Pennsylvania can drive down to see us there. It is all about developing the brand in terms of Maryland Pride, and being out and in the community.”

On if C.J. Brown is ahead of schedule on his rehab:

“I would say that he is from the standpoint that he has worked extremely hard. The one thing that we aren’t going to do is rush him. We are going to do the things that we feel or the doctors tell us that he can do. I think he is. He has worked his tail off in terms of the rehab. Whatever we can get with him this spring in terms of the throwing, and different things will be a bonus. He is pretty much ahead of schedule.”

On the benefit of being in year two of the offensive and defensive systems:

“It is a really good thing. I expect from the day that we go out there that the players will know exactly what to do. They will be playing a little bit faster and they will know things. Anytime you can go in and have people coming back that are going to be familiar with what you are doing, it gives you a chance to get a lot better fundamentally and technique wise. But also put a couple of other things in that will take advantage of our skill set.”

On the offensive line:

“We have to get five guys up there on the offensive line. As we start on Saturday it will be Mike Madaras at left tackle, De’Onte [Arnett] at left guard, Sal [Conaboy] and Evan [Mulrooney] fighting it out at center, Andy [Andrew] Zeller at right guard, and Nick Kelmm at right tackle. What I want to do there is get at least eight. At center I think we are in pretty good shape there between Sal and Evan and Steve Grommer, who is getting better. Who can be the top three guards and the top three tackles? That is one of my concerns offensively.”

Quarterback C.J. Brown

On his rehab:

“I’ve pushed my body to the max, and I feel like I’m ahead of schedule because if I didn’t take this seriously, I could be behind a lot of guys. I’m really excited for where I’m at right now from where I’ve come. I’m just going day-by–day.”

On competing with Ricardo Young for starting position:

“There’s going to be competition everywhere. No one’s going to be handed over the job. You have to earn it. I’m going to do as much as I can to earn the job and he’s going to do as much as he can to earn the job. I know the coaches will give everyone a fair chance. Anytime you’re out there and can take all the reps, it’s going to help.”

On the offense:

“We look pretty good on paper. It’ll be exciting to see when we’re all out there and the damage that we can do because we’ve got some explosive guys on the field. It’ll be exciting to see how this offense takes off.”

Defensive Lineman Darius Kilo

On spring football:

“Coming back to spring, we know what we have to do. We’re not learning anything; we’re not changing anything differently. It should be simple and it should be easier to execute. I’m pretty excited.”

On his personal goals:

“I just want to be the best player I can be. I feel like I worked hard in the winter workouts and I feel like I can definitely be an impact player for the defense. I just want to be able to step up in that role.”

On returning the defensive system from last season:

“I’m definitely a lot more comfortable. Coming back for the second year with the same playbook is definitely an advantage. I feel comfortable with the plays and the system.”

Wide Receiver Deon Long

On starting practice:

“I’m just excited. I’m excited to get out there and start playing. I’m excited to be playing against some better competition and I’m just looking forward to proving myself.”

On his relationship with quarterback Ricardo Young:

“I wanted to play with him in junior college. We were never on the same team — we were rivals — but we were always good friends. I said, ‘Wherever you’re going, that’s where I’m going.’”

On what he learned from playing in junior college:

“Make it a team thing; don’t make it about you. Even though you might be a featured player, do everything you can to help the team and make everyone around you better.”

On Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley’s system:

“Playing in the offense at a less-fortunate team at New Mexico, we did a lot of explosive things. With the personnel we have here and the talent we have here, I think [Offensive Coordinator Mike] Locksley can go deep into the playbook and we can run it.”

Quarterback Ricardo Young

On spring football:

“I just want to use this spring to make my team a lot better. We’ve got a lot of young receivers, a lot of good receivers. I want to use this spring to take the time to get them acquainted – actually, to take the time and get myself back acquainted. I feel like I’m a veteran at this now. It should be a good showing from me and we’re just trying to get the team to where we’re going.”

On what he brings to the team:

“I want to bring a leadership role as a quarterback. I’m a guy that’s always going to be in the film room, always diligent in my work. I’m a guy that’s going to go out and try to get it done for you every day. I bring nothing less than 110 percent every day.”

On his relationship with the wide receivers:

“Me, Deon [Long], Stefon [Diggs], Nigel [King] — a lot of those guys that are veterans and have been in it, we have a great rapport. We go out there every single day, and I’m on them every day about being crisp in rotations and route running and sticking and stacking DBs. I’m just really on them about getting in the film room and staying on their course work, and really staying in the game every single day to show nothing less than 110 percent effort. We have a really great rapport. I think that’ll help us a lot when it comes to connecting on certain routes and certain things that we should be on point at.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Below is the media availability schedule for the University of Maryland football team, which begins spring practice Saturday, March 2.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and selected players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field, which is located adjacent to Byrd.
• ·       Parking will be available in Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors throughout the day).
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and requested players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field.
• ·       Parking will be available on the concourse of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Enter at Gate E (open at 3 p.m.) which is located on the North side of Byrd on Stadium Drive. Turn right as you go through the gate and park near the rails. Gossett may be accessed by exiting the stadium at Gate J and entering at Gate K.
• ·       Arrivals after 4 p.m. should go to Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors after 4 p.m.)
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and selected players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field, which is located adjacent to Byrd.
• ·       Parking will be available in Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors throughout the day).
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

TUESDAY, MARCH 12

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and requested players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field.
• ·       Parking will be available on the concourse of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Enter at Gate E (open at 3 p.m.) which is located on the North side of Byrd on Stadium Drive. Turn right as you go through the gate and park near the rails. Gossett may be accessed by exiting the stadium at Gate J and entering at Gate K.
• ·       Arrivals after 4 p.m. should go to Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors after 4 p.m.)
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

SENIOR PRO DAY – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13

• ·       Senior Pro Day is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium and is open to the media.
• ·       Parking will be available on the concourse of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Enter at Gate E (open at 10:30 a.m.) which is located on the North side of Byrd on Stadium Drive. Turn right as you go through the gate and park near the rails. Gossett may be accessed by exiting the stadium at Gate J and entering at Gate K.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and requested players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field.
• ·       Parking will be available on the concourse of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Enter at Gate E (open at 3 p.m.) which is located on the North side of Byrd on Stadium Drive. Turn right as you go through the gate and park near the rails. Gossett may be accessed by exiting the stadium at Gate J and entering at Gate K.
• ·       Arrivals after 4 p.m. should go to Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors after 4 p.m.)
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 (DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL)

• ·       Practice is scheduled for noon at Dunbar High School (1400 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21231) and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and selected players will be available immediately following the workout.
• ·       This practice is open to the public free of charge.
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

TUESDAY, APRIL 2

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and requested players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field.
• ·       Parking will be available on the concourse of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Enter at Gate E (open at 3 p.m.) which is located on the North side of Byrd on Stadium Drive. Turn right as you go through the gate and park near the rails. Gossett may be accessed by exiting the stadium at Gate J and entering at Gate K.
• ·       Arrivals after 4 p.m. should go to Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors after 4 p.m.)
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

SATURDAY, APRIL 6 (MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL)

• ·       Practice is scheduled for noon at Middletown High School (200 Schoolhouse Drive, Middletown, MD 21769) and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and selected players will be available immediately following the workout.
• ·       This practice is open to the public free of charge.
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9

• ·       Practice is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and requested players will be available immediately following the workout on the practice field.
• ·       Parking will be available on the concourse of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Enter at Gate E (open at 3 p.m.) which is located on the North side of Byrd on Stadium Drive. Turn right as you go through the gate and park near the rails. Gossett may be accessed by exiting the stadium at Gate J and entering at Gate K.
• ·       Arrivals after 4 p.m. should go to Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors after 4 p.m.)
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

SPRING GAME – FRIDAY, APRIL 12

• ·       The Spring Game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.  at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium and is open to the media. Coach Edsall and requested players will be available immediately following the workout on the field.
• ·       Parking will be available in Lot 1 (open for all campus visitors after 4 p.m.)
• ·       Practice times and dates and locations are subject to change due to weather.

Maryland adds 22 players for the 2013 season

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Spurred by a bevy of the area’s top players, along with key additions from around the nation, the University of Maryland football team has signed a top-35 recruiting class for the second consecutive year.

Head coach Randy Edsall announced the signing of 22 student-athletes for the 2013 season, 19 of whom signed national letters-of-intent, Wednesday afternoon. Three signees enrolled in classes at the university for the spring semester.

The class includes 13 defensive players and nine on the offensive side, while 14 of the players hail from the Maryland/Washington, D.C. area. The Terps landed a five-star recruit for the second consecutive year and have six incoming players labeled as four-star recruits.

“Overall I’m very thrilled and excited because we were able to go out and meet the needs that we needed to in this year’s class,” said head coach Randy Edsall. “I’m also very proud that we closed strong, getting three young men on signing day, and they’re local kids.”

For the second straight year, Maryland landed the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington, D.C. in Yannick Ngakoue (Prounounced: Ya-neek In-gah-kway). A linebacker from Friendship Collegiate Academy, Ngakoue played in the Under Armour All-America game and is a Parade All-American.

Deon Long, a five-star wide receiver who spent last season at Iowa Western Community College, strengthens an already impressive receiving corps. The Terps also added a pair of local wideouts in four-star receiver Taivon Jacobs of Suitland High School and DeAndre Lane of Catonsville Senior High School.

Jacquille Veii, a highly-touted defensive back from The Avalon School in Gaithersburg, Md., was one of the three players to pledge their commitment to Maryland on signing day, joining Jacobs and Ngakoue.

According to 247Sports.com, four of the top seven players in D.C. are headed to Maryland, including Under Armour All-America offensive lineman Derwin Gray (No. 1), and linebackers Cavon Walker (No. 6) and Jermaine Carter, Jr. (No. 7). The aforementioned Ngakoue is the third-ranked player in D.C.

Both 247Sports.com and Rivals.com rank Maryland’s class as the 30th-best in the nation. Rivals also has Maryland’s class as the fifth-best in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I’m just very proud of the coaching staff for the work and effort they’ve put in to getting this done,” said Edsall. “Then I’m also just very happy for all these young men that we’ve signed because they see what we’re doing, what we’re building, and they wanted to be a part of something special.”

In addition to Gray, Jacobs and Ngakoue, the Terps added three more four-star recruits in quarterback Shane Cockerille, tight end Andrew Isaacs and defensive back William Likely. Cockerille, a dual-threat quarterback from The Gilman School, was a finalist of ESPN’s Elite 11, a camp which ranks the top prep quarterbacks in the nation. Cockerille also represented the U-19 USA Team in the International Bowl on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Likely, an all-state player Belle Glade, Fla., is one of three early enrollees, joining Long and offensive lineman Silvano Altamirano, who spent the past two seasons at San Diego Mesa College.

A talented group of incoming linebackers also includes Jalen Brooks, one of two recruits from the state of Georgia, and Derrick Hayward of Wicomico High School in Salisbury, Md.

Milan Collins of Bishop McNamara High School in La Plata, Md., Elvis Dennah of Annapolis Area Christian School in Annapolis, and Jarrett Ross, the lone Delaware signee, round out a group of five defensive backs.

The Terps also added three strong defensive linemen, going into Florida to get Bozeman High School product Chandler Burkett and Mandarin High School’s Kingsley Opara, as well as Malik Jones, who won two state titles at Paul L. Dunbar High School in Baltimore.

Maryland also has two quality additions along the offensive line in JaJuan Dulaney of McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga., and Moise Larose of Wilde Lake High School in Odenton, Md.

Pronunciation Guide

Taivon Jacobs: Tay-von

Moise Larose: Mo-ees La-ROW

Yannick Ngakoue: IN-Gah-Kway

Kingsley Opara: O-par-ah

Jacquille Veii: Ja-Keel Vay

Cavon Walker: Say-von

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland closes out its 2012 campaign when it visits North Carolina this Saturday at 3 p.m. for the first meeting between the schools since 2008. The Terps have won five of the last six in the series, though the Tar Heels hold a 36-21-1 all-time edge, including a 20-14-1 advantage in Chapel Hill.

First-and-10

• The Terps have lost five straight after a rash of injuries has taken its toll on both sides of the ball. Ten Terrapins have been lost to season-ending injuries, all of them potential starters. Of the 10 starters lost, four are quarterbacks, leaving freshman Shawn Petty, a former linebacker, as the team’s starter. Maryland has been without leading rusher Wes Brown and leading tackler Demetrius Hartsfieldthe past two weeks, both of whom suffered season-ending injuries. Combined with Perry Hills’ season-ending injury in October, that meant the Terps were without their leading passer (Hills), rusher (Brown) and tackler (Hartsfield) the last three games of the year.

• Hartsfield, who suffered a torn ACL during the Georgia Tech game, had been the leader of a defense that ranked in the top-10 nationally for the first eight games of the season. One of four team captains, Hartsfield has remained Maryland’s leading tackler and ranks 15th in school history with 338 in his career.

• The toughest part of Maryland’s schedule has coincided with Maryland’s ills. The Terps faced the top four offenses in the Atlantic Coast Conference in November – Clemson ranks first, Florida State second, North Carolina third and Georgia Tech fourth. Still, the Terps possess a top 15 defense. Maryland ranks 15th nationally in total defense (322.5 ypg), 20th in rushing defense (123.9 ypg) and 27th in passing defense (198.6 ypg). In 11 games, Maryland has held its opponent under 100 rushing yards five times, and under 55 yards four times.

• Maryland has an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebackers Kenneth Tate and Darin Drakeford. Maryland’s 6.6 tackles for loss per game rank 29th in the FBS and its 2.55 sacks per game are tied for 25th. Vellano, who has played through an ankle injury for much of the year, is fourth in the ACC and is tied for 30th nationally with 1.27 tackles for loss per game. Vellano and Drakeford are tied for fifth in the conference with 6.0 sacks, and Cole Farrand has also provided solid play, with his 71 tackles ranking second on the team behind the injured Hartsfield. Against Florida State, Tate became the first Terrapin to record 3.0 sacks in a game since Shawne Merriman on Nov. 2, 2002.

• Petty took the reins at QB against Georgia Tech and has started the past three games. Petty starred on both sides of the ball and was an All-Met selection at Eleanor Roosevelt HS in Greenbelt, Md. As a quarterback, he threw for 1,300 yards and 15 TDs, and ran for 550 yards and 10 TDs. In his two games, Petty has completed 23 of 49 passes for 292 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Against Florida State, Petty hit senior wide receiver Kevin Dorsey for a pair of scores as Dorsey surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards.

• Against Clemson, Brandon Ross took over starting duties at running back for the injured Brown and responded with the best game of his young career. Ross ran 16 times for 100 yards, an average of 6.25 yards per carry, and had a 44-yard run which is the longest by a Terrapin this season.

• Wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker this season. His 766 receiving yards rank 10th on Maryland’s single-season list, while his 1,648 all-purpose yards rank fifth. Against Virginia, the freshman returned the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and vs. Boston College he had a career-high 11 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with a pair of touchdown catches against Georgia Tech and over his last seven games is averaging 88.6 receiving yards per game. Diggs has earned ACC weekly honors four times this season: he received Rookie of the Week honors against West Virginia, Wake Forest and Boston College; and Specialist of the Week honors against Virginia.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland is one of seven schools to have started three different players at quarterback this season (also Southern Miss – 4; and Colorado State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tulane and Utah – 3).

• The combination of a talented 2012 recruiting class and a number of injuries has led Maryland to play 15 true freshmen this season. That’s tied for the third most in the FBS, behind only Texas and TCU who have each played 16.

• The quarterback position has been hit hardest by injuries, leaving the Terps in what seems to be uncharted territory. Four Maryland QBs have suffered season-ending injuries this year: C.J. Brown was lost in August with a torn ACL; Perry Hills was lost in the NC State game with a torn ACL; Devin Burns was lost after replacing Hills in the NC State game with a Lisfranc (foot); and Caleb Rowe was lost for the year after suffering a torn ACL in the Boston College game. An inquiry among FBS media relations contacts turned up no results of any school having a similar injury situation at quarterback this season or in the past.

• Perry Hills, Caleb Rowe and Shawn Petty have all started at QB this season. It’s been nearly 30 years since Maryland last started three quarterbacks in one season. The last time was 1973, when Ben Kinard started six games, Bob Avellini started three games and Al Neville started two games.

• Maryland has lost 10 players to season-ending injuries this year, four of which are quarterbacks. QB C.J. Brown (knee), WRKerry Boykins (hip), RB Wes Brown, QB Devin Burns (foot), PK/P Nick Ferrara (hip), LB Demetrius Hartsfield (knee), QB Perry Hills (knee), WR Marcus Leak (toe), DL Andre Monroe (knee) and QB Caleb Rowe (knee) have all been lost for the year.

• Stefon Diggs has earned ACC Player of the Week honors four times this year. Diggs won Rookie of the Week for his play against West Virginia (9/22), Wake Forest (10/6) and Boston College (10/27), and Specialist of the Week against Virginia (10/13).

• Diggs ranks fifth in the conference and first among freshmen with 76.6 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 46 catches for 766 yards, already ranks 10th on Maryland’s single-season receiving yards list (see list page 6).

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games (vs. West Virginia and Wake Forest) since at least 1985, the earliest game-by-game statistics were recorded at the school.

• Maryland allowed Wake Forest to complete just 32.4 percent of its passes (13 of 38). That is the lowest percentage by an opponent with at least 30 passing attempts since Duke went 13 of 42 (30.9%) on Nov. 14, 1998.

• Joe Vellano’s father, Paul Vellano, was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. The elder Vellano was a first team All-American in 1973, while Joe was a second team All-American in 2011. The father-son combo represent one of four known father-son All-America combos to attend the same FBS school (also Lee and Travis McGriff at Florida; Kevin and Drew Butler at Georgia; Archie and Eli Manning at Ole Miss).

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 27 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (15 true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen, one sophomore, two juniors, one senior).

• The Terps are holding opponents to 3.34 yards per carry, which is ranks 14th nationally. Of the opponents’ 408 rushing attempts this season, 246 (60.3%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia; 21 of 29 vs. Wake Forest; 25 of 42 vs. Virginia; 18 of 26 vs. NC State; 21 of 27 vs. Boston College; 18 of 56 vs. Georgia Tech; 26 of 42 vs. Clemson; 16 of 51 vs. Florida State).

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In 11 games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 31:10 to 28:50 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

Maryland-North Carolina Series History

• Saturday’s game will mark the 70th meeting between the Terrapins and Tar Heels. North Carolina owns a 36-32-1 edge in the all-time series. The two schools first met back in 1920 when Maryland blanked Carolina 13-0. Maryland is 14-20-1 against North Carolina in games played in Chapel Hill.

• The teams last met in 2008 in College Park, a 17-15 Maryland victory. The Terps have won five of the last six in the series.

• The Tar Heels have won four of the last six meetings in Chapel Hill. The last meeting in Chapel Hill was in 2007, a 16-13 North Carolina victory.