Shining youth in Music City Bowl gave Maryland football a positive preview to next season

Maryland football coach Michael Locksley used the Music City Bowl Dec. 30 against Auburn as a preview for his team’s future.

Numerous starters, including quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, entered the transfer portal or opted out of the game to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft. The unit on the field against the Tigers looked vastly different than the one just weeks earlier against Rutgers.

“We always consider a bowl game to be a movie trailer for what next year looks like,” Locksley said. “When we finished up against Rutgers, that team that we had last year was done.”

The trailer his team delivered gave Terps fans a lot to look forward to in the new year.

That started with a glimpse of the first offense without Tagovailoa under center since 2019. It’s unclear who will be the team’s quarterback next season, but Billy Edwards Jr. and Cam Edge each made strong cases for it to be them. 

Locksley made it clear in the weeks leading up to the bowl game that he doesn’t see Edwards as a run-first quarterback — the redshirt sophomore came in for some short-yardage situations to run the ball throughout the year — and that vision manifested quickly. His first pass of the afternoon was an incomplete shot to a streaking Kaden Prather downfield.

Edge entered the Music City Bowl a bigger unknown, only having played in one game in his collegiate career. The redshirt freshman displayed his arm talent immediately, likewise firing a deep ball to Prather — one that was completed for 57 yards.

Both quarterbacks displayed arm talent and a willingness to push the ball downfield, key traits for operating Maryland’s pass-heavy scheme. Edwards said they both had a “gunslinger mentality.”

Edwards needed to use the bowl game to shed the label of a running quarterback, and Edge needed to establish himself as a capable passer. Both did just that.

The duo will vie for the 2024 starting position with NC State transfer MJ Morris, another willing gunslinger. Both Edwards and Edge gave plenty of reasoning to believe the open competition will be an exciting one to watch. 

“All they gotta do is execute the stuff,” Locksley said. “[The system] has answers, it’s built for [Edwards’] skill set and Cam’s skill set and obviously signing MJ, it’s a great problem to have.”

Maryland’s tight end room also answered looming questions following the transfers of starter Corey Dyches and freshman Rico Walker, the Terps’ highest-rated recruit in the Class of 2022. 

Dylan Wade and Preston Howard showed they’re more than capable of holding down the position in coming years in the absence of Dyches and Walker, each hauling in a touchdown while playing a role in the Terps’ rushing attack.

“You saw a precursor of what I think the future can be here,” Locksley said. “They have the ability to block the [C-gap] area, they have the ability to run … I like the way that position is being developed.”

With Beau Brade, Ja’Quan Sheppard and Tarheeb Still set to depart for the NFL Draft, young defensive backs got the chance to prove they can hold up the back end of Maryland’s secondary next season. 

The blinking light among that group was Perry Fisher. The redshirt freshman made plays all over the field, racking up three pass break ups, a sack, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. 

The 6-foot-3 Fisher is a stellar athlete who repeatedly made plays on the ball. He played over half of his snaps from the slot, per Pro Football Focus — versatility that allows the Terps to do more on defense. 

Fisher could pair beautifully with Glendon Miller, Maryland’s primary slot defender in 2023 and another towering presence at 6-foot-4.

Sophomore Lionel Whitaker and freshman Kevis Thomas were the Terps’ primary outside cornerbacks outside of Sheppard. They both held their own, each allowing just one catch.

Saturday’s win wasn’t a full glimpse into next year, with freshmen and transfers yet to take the field for Maryland. But the pieces that did play showed they can contribute to a bright future in College Park.

“The best for this program is still ahead,” Locksley said.