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In our "Out of Spring" series, Orange and Blue News takes a look at spring football for the Illini's 2018 opponents.
Next up, we break down the Maryland Terrapins. Illinois travels to College Park on October 27 for the first ever meeting between the two programs on the gridiron.
DJ Durkin enters his third season as the head coach at Maryland. Last year, the Terps posted 4-8 record, 2-7 in the Big Ten, tied for 6th in the East division.
Durkin made major changes to his coaching staff in the off season, including hiring well-traveled offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who was most recently the OC at LSU.
Maryland held its annual Red-White spring game on April 14. Redshirt freshman running back Anthony McFarland, a former 4-star recruit in the class of 2017, was a standout.
Orange and Blue News caught up with Scott Greene from Terrapin Sports Report to get the lowdown on Maryland heading out of spring football. Follow Scott on Twitter @TerrapinNation. Follow Maryland football @TerpsFootball.
Matt Canada is in as offensive coordinator. What changes did you see in the offense this spring? What type of scheme will Canada use, and how did the offense look overall?
Scott Greene: With Matt Canada replacing Walt Bell as Maryland's offensive coordinator, there are likely to be some changes on offense in 2018. While Canada didn't show much in the spring of what we might expect to see this upcoming season, it was immediately apparent that there will be a lot more pre-snap movement. Much of that movement will come from the tight ends, who are likely to be much more involved in 2018 after being nearly invisible to Maryland quarterbacks in 2017. The offense is likely to remain run-heavy next season, but Canada is known for playing to his team's strength and with a number of weapons at running back and some small, quick wideouts, look for plenty of passes to the running back group as well as plenty of jet sweeps to the slot.
Big Ten wide receiver of the year DJ Moore is now a member of the Carolina Panthers. Who stepped up this spring as potential play-makers to replace Moore's production?
SG: It is going to be extremely difficult for Maryland to replace first-round talent DJ Moore in 2018. That said, the most likely player to step into the WR1 spot is sixth-year senior Taivon Jacobs.
Jacobs emerged as the Terps' No. 2 option behind Moore last season and was his most productive at the end of last season. After finishing with 47 catches for 553 yards and five touchdowns a season ago, it is possible Jacobs could produce similar numbers to Moore's sophomore campaign with additional targets, but his lack of size will likely prevent him from putting up even bigger numbers.
One newcomer to the wide receiving corps to keep an eye on is Jeshaun Jones. The true freshman had a stellar spring and has the look of heir apparent to Stefon Diggs and DJ Moore with outstanding size and hands.
Former Illinois linebacker Tre Watson transferred to Maryland. How did he look this spring? Is he penciled in as a starter? And who are some other names to know on defense?
SG: Graduate transfer Tre Watson had a solid spring for the Terps and is penciled in to start at linebacker during his lone season in College Park. Maryland's already thin linebacking corps took a big hit with the graduation of Jermaine Carter Jr., who was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and led the Terps in tackles the past three seasons. Watson will hopefully be able to step up and replace Carter Jr.'s production as well as leadership.
The biggest name to know on defense for next season we didn't get to see this spring. That would be senior BUCK (rush end) Jesse Aniebonam, who is coming off of a fractured ankle injury suffered in last year's season opener versus Texas which caused him to miss the remainder of the 2017 season. Maryland's lack of pass rush last season was a huge problem for the defense and Aniebonam led the Terps with 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2016.
What newcomers or potential break-out performers stood out this spring for the Terps?
SG: On defense, Auburn transfer Byron Cowart and Florida State transfer Marcus Lewis looked like impact newcomers throughout the spring. Cowart, once the No. 1-ranked player nationally by Rivals, brings much needed size and speed along the Terps' defensive line. Lewis, a one-time starter for the Seminoles, is penciled in to replace JC Jackson at one of the starting cornerback spots.
On the offensive side of the ball, redshirt freshman running back Anthony McFarland might have had the best spring of anybody on the team. McFarland was one of the top high school running backs in the country as a junior, before suffering a season-ending injury that cost him his senior season. He was redshirted last season as he continued to rehab and appears to be at 100 percent full strength heading into the fall.
The Terps are absolutely stacked at running back with Ty Johnson, who was a 1,000-yard rusher in 2016, returning along with Lorenzo Harrison, who's rushed for over 600 yards in each of his seasons at Maryland. Still, McFarland should see plenty of opportunities in 2018 and is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
What questions still need to be answered when Maryland opens camp later this summer?
SG: The biggest question mark for Maryland heading into fall camp is the quarterback position. After losing both Ty Pigrome and Kasim Hill less than two games into the 2017 season, both spent the spring rehabbing and appear to be ahead of schedule. That said, neither got any live work during the spring and there is still question as to whether both will be ready for full live action at the start of fall camp. The Terps need one of the two ready to step up and go a full season in 2018 if they are to improve on last season and get back to a bowl game for the second time under third-year head coach DJ Durkin.
