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Maryland Terrapins: 2016 College Football Season Preview

By Jonathan Gross

Nov 14, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet on the field prior to a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet on the field prior to a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 28, 2015; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Perry Hills (11) throws a pass during the first half of their game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Perry Hills (11) throws a pass during the first half of their game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

Key Players

If Maryland wants to have any chance of a successful season, they’ll need their starting quarteback, Perry Hills, to step up. Last season, the 6-3 QB completed only 90 of his 180 passes while throwing 13 interceptions and eight touchdowns. Those aren’t winning numbers.

Oct 31, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back William Likely (4) returns a kickoff against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa won 31-15. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back William Likely (4) returns a kickoff against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa won 31-15. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

Hills does, however, have the ability to run. He rushed for 535 yards and three scores in 2015, averaging nearly five yards per touch. Yet, improvement in the passing game is imperative. Think of it this way: against Penn State last season, Hills completed a season-high 68 percent of his passes. However, he threw three interceptions, which ultimately lost the game for the Terps.

With the loss of Yannick Ngakoue and Quinton Jefferson, someone needs to fill the void on the defensive line. Perhaps, that guy is Roman Braglio. In 11 games last season, Braglio made 35 stops, 5.5 of which were for loss. He also managed three sacks in a limited amount of playing time.

In a conference with so many talented running backs and quarterbacks, Braglio will be called on quite a bit to make places in the backfield. D.J. Durkin may not have many weapons in his arsenal, but Braglio is one of them.

Every team needs a game changer. For Maryland, it’s Will Likely. At 5-7, Likely uses his top-end speed, shiftiness and big-hit ability to make an impact on games. In 2015, Likely forced three fumbles, broke up 11 passes and made 44 tackles.

His biggest impact comes on special teams. The senior has returned two kick-offs for scores and took four punts to the house. He’ll also see some time on offense.

Next: Season Predictions

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