Maryland football’s 2023 success could hinge on a reloaded yet unproven defense

Maryland football had a clear offseason goal for its defense: Reload and give defensive coordinator Brian Williams new pieces to utilize against a Big Ten schedule chock-full of loaded offenses.

The Terps performed on par with conference average last season against both the pass and run. They ranked sixth in average opponent yards per pass (6.2) and seventh in average opponent yards per rush (3.8).

But they were inconsistent when it mattered most, especially in the front seven. Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State decimated Maryland’s defense on the ground for a respective 243, 278 and 249 yards.

All three rushing outputs led to crushing conference losses for the Terps. For coach Mike Locksley to bring home the program’s first-ever Big Ten title, his defense doesn’t have such a large margin for error against conference opponents.

“We’re not shying away from [the spotlight],” Locksley said. “The only expectation that really matters to us … is the expectation we have [in-house].”

Developing linebacker play will be crucial for the Terps. A talented corps that Locksley called the glue of the defense can be the unit that makes or breaks Maryland’s improvement on that side of the ball.

Jaishawn Barham returns looking to build off a stellar freshman campaign that earned him first team Freshman All-American honors. Joining him in the off-ball linebacker role will be redshirt senior Fa’Najae Gotay, who has turned heads in camp as a potential major contributor.

“He’s gonna be a guy that[‘s] gonna really step up for us,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Quashon Fuller said. “And isn’t really talked about much right now.”

Senior Ruben Hyppolite II — who has started 20 games over the last two seasons — enters the season as the most experienced member of the group.

The defensive line is set up to operate similar to previous years. Maryland’s linebacker-heavy defensive scheme historically prioritizes size and run prowess from defensive lineman, and the roster is constructed as such.

Key contributors Durell Nchami, Ami Finau, Greg China-Rose and Anthony Booker Jr. — a quartet that combined for 20.5 tackles for loss in 2022 — departed from the program, but plenty of experience returns to a group that rotates fairly often. Upperclassmen Tommy Akingbesote and Taizse Johnson saw plenty of action last season and will return to provide leadership up front.

The Terps brought in two transfers on the defensive line as well. Jordan Phillips, a redshirt freshman who left Tennessee after one season, joins 330-pound graduate student and Division II product Tre Colbert as the new faces in the group.

Phillips should play a sizable role after catching the eyes of coaches in camp.

“Jordan has a lot of leadership qualities,” Williams said. “Guys see a guy come in and adapt to how we’re doing things and then apply his work ethic to us … it happens fast for us with a guy like Jordan.”

Senior cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard, a four-star transfer from Cincinnati, comes to provide relief in the secondary and is expected to immediately slot into the starting lineup. He was first team All-AAC in 2022, racking up 50 tackles and ten pass breakups — the latter being second-most in the conference.

“Ja’Quan’s actually learning very fast,” senior cornerback Tarheeb Still said. “You can tell those guys are real ballplayers now. They want to compete, they want to put hands on … I’m actually very confident in those guys and their abilities to play.

Sheppard and Still — the other projected starting outside corner — have big shoes to fill. 

Last year’s starters, Deonte Banks and Jakorian Bennett, anchored a secondary that allowed the fourth-lowest completion percentage in the Big Ten. The duo finished the season with above-average 72 and 71.8 PFF grades, respectively. Both departed for the NFL and were selected in April’s draft.

The starting safeties from last year’s group — senior Beau Brade and junior Dante Trader — are back for another season. The pair each intercepted two passes and combined for 124 tackles in 2022.

In the recruiting sphere, Locksley and Williams brought in pieces that could develop into defensive mainstays in time.

Four-star edge rusher Rico Walker — 247Sports’ 209th player nationwide and the seventh-highest recruit in the state of North Carolina — headlines the class, while fellow four-star edge Neeo Avery was Maryland’s highest-ranked in-state recruit. 

Michael Harris — a four-star linebacker from Florida — will make a push for immediate playing time as well.

The Terps’ offense will occupy much of the team’s spotlight. But a reloaded defensive group — with a proven centerpiece in Barham — could make life difficult for the Big Ten if they live up to their potential.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys in that locker room over there that really feel strongly about now [being] our time to … create the habits and behaviors to be a championship-level program,” Locksley said.