Most fans don’t even think this will be a standout year for Maryland football.
But ESPN football analyst and draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. disagrees, saying he wouldn’t be shocked to see the Terrapins improve on last year’s 6-6 record and make people around the country take notice.
“I like Maryland this year, they are a sleeper,” Kiper said at Towson’s football luncheon last week. “They could be 8-4 this year and go to a bowl. Not like last year at 6-6, but 8-4. They beat Rutgers, they beat Boston College, they should have beaten Wake Forest.”
Kiper’s reasoning? He says the Terrapins have plenty of talent to keep up with the other teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“They can replace [graduated running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore] — and it’s not like they are replacing LaMont Jordan. They were decent backs, not great ones,” he said. “The offensive line is very good, the quarterbacks can get it done, they have a tight end who can catch the ball and receivers who can get it done.”
But the unit Kiper says will be key to the Terrapins entering the national spotlight will be the defense.
“Dave Philistin and the linebackers are good, the secondary is OK and the defensive line has some questions, but if they are good, this is an 8-4 team,” he said.
Maryland junior receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey also has caught the eye of Kiper, one of the top collegiate talent evaluators of all-time. Last year, Heyward-Bey caught 51 passes for 786 yards with five touchdowns, and carried the ball five times for 107 yards with a score.
If Heyward-Bey declares for the NFL draft after this season, Kiper believes he won’t wait long to hear his name called.
“Heyward-Bey, to me, is a great football player,” Kiper said. “If he comes out, he is a first round, mid-first round pick.”
