New faces and returning stars headline Maryland football’s 2023 offense

Maryland football achieved its best season of the Mike Locksley era last year by capping off an 8-5 season with its second-straight bowl victory. The Terps have improved each season under Locksley and the expectations for 2023 are higher than ever. 

They’re now shifting focus towards competing for a Big Ten championship.

The returning leader as the captain of Maryland’s offense is quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. The redshirt senior became Maryland’s all-time leading passer in yards and touchdowns last campaign, having tallied 7,879 passing yards and 51 passing touchdowns across three seasons. And he has the chance to cement himself as the greatest quarterback in program history this season.

“I think the sky’s the limit for us. I for sure want to have a better year than I did the last couple years,” Tagovailoa said. “I feel like we can do that for sure with coach [Josh] Gattis and the offense.”  

Gattis is one of a multitude of new members within Maryland’s offense. The Terps’ new offensive coordinator worked alongside Locksley at Alabama in 2018, most recently manufacturing Miami’s offense in 2022. Gattis was named the top assistant in college football in 2021 while serving as the offensive coordinator at Michigan. 

Gattis will seize play-calling duties, but the offensive scheme and system will remain the same. The offense will continue to utilize a spread attack with tempo and motion. 

The Terps’ aerial attack lost wide receivers Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus Jr. and Jacob Copeland to the NFL this offseason, while tight end CJ Dippre transferred to Alabama. But Maryland retained its two leading receivers from a season ago in wideout Jeshaun Jones and tight end Corey Dyches. 

Maryland used the transfer portal to fill a pair of vacated spots in the receiver room. Graduate student Tyrese Chambers from FIU and junior Kaden Prather from West Virginia provide immediate production as upperclassmen. 

The development of junior Tai Felton and sophomores Octavian Smith Jr. and Shaleak Knotts is something to watch out for in 2023. They’ll add depth to round out a dynamic wide receiver room. 

“I feel like there’s about five, six guys in that room that can play about any position that you ask,” Jones said. “And that’s a great thing for us. Just creates value for the offense and adds value for yourself personally.”

The biggest question mark for the Terps’ offense is in the trenches with the offensive line. Maryland struggled in pass protection at times last season and just one of its starters in the front five returns: redshirt junior Delmar Glaze.

Seniors Aric Harris and Amelio Morán appeared in six and nine games, respectively, in 2022, but will likely assume a starting role from the opening outing this season. Maryland landed Gottlieb Ayedze from Frostburg State and Corey Bullock from North Carolina Central to round out a projected starting offensive line.

The Terps’ unit up front displays lots of talent but not many reps with each other. The chemistry — especially early on — will be a defining factor. 

“Last year, all of the starters were here for three years, so it’s easier to build that,” Glaze said. “This is a whole new group and they all just got here so just trying to figure out ways to continue to build that bond and build it strong in a shorter period of time, get the chemistry going.” 

In the backfield is where Maryland holds the most continuity. That group is headlined by Roman Hemby. The redshirt sophomore ranked third among FBS freshmen with 1,287 yards from scrimmage and was named a 2022 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. 

Pairing up with Hemby is redshirt sophomore Antwain Littleton II. The 6-foot-1, 232-pound back is a touchdown machine and excels in short yardage scenarios. 

The one-two punch of Hemby and Littleton averaged 5.2 yards per carry and scored 16 rushing touchdowns in 2022. 

“I feel like [all the backs] have similar running styles, but we all have a different unique skill set that we bring to the table and I think that’s what makes our running back room so close knit,” Hemby said. “There’s not one guy that is over any of the other guys in my opinion. I feel like we all bring things to the table that either the other people lack or they aren’t really where they want to be with.”

As a whole, Maryland’s offense should be among the best units in the conference. The Terps produced the fourth-most yards per game last season (401.2), equating to 28.2 points per game.

The skill positions are easily the biggest strength of the Terps’ offense in 2023, with returners and newcomers alike looking to make big contributions. But Maryland’s unproven offensive line may determine its offense’s ceiling.