Quarterback Competition Continues

By Joe Atmonavage

Tuesday’s Practice was Daxx Garman’s Day.

The quarterback transfer from Oklahoma State played with the first-team offense throughout the team’s 10th practice of fall camp.

Head coach Randy Edsall has been rotating through three quarterbacks so far in fall camp in hope of one of them separating themselves from the pack.

Randy Edsall said the starting quarterback position has still not yet been decided. (Courtesy of UMTerps.com)
Randy Edsall said the starting quarterback position has still not yet been decided. (Courtesy of UMTerps.com)

“It is just a matter of making sure you are doing the right thing and seeing all the things they can do,” Edsall said. “We are not playing for two weeks. Again, we would like to guys just jump ahead of other people. Sometimes, it is hard.”

The competition under center is between Caleb Rowe, Perry Hills and Garman. Rowe, who missed all of spring practice after tearing his ACL for the second time as Terp in the fall, played with the first team offense Monday. Perry Hills directed the starters in Tuesday’s morning practice.

Garman said, while the afternoon practice was his chance to prove himself with the starters, it has been beneficial to rotate with the other quarterbacks throughout camp.

“No, it’s good because you get to work with everyone,” said about trying to find a rhythm in a revolving competition. “It makes you have to be on your game and consistent in what you do.”

Garman struggled to find the consistency early in Tuesday’s practice. The team worked on low-clock, no-huddle situations. Garman missed a few receivers early on and threw an interception on a Hail Mary try.

Edsall said for Garman, it is about learning the playbook and getting comfortable in the offense. Garman said he felt much better after his 10th practice than his first.

“I am definitely getting more comfortable,” he said. “Being out here learning their routine everyday is nice. You finally pick up and you get in a good routine. That has really helped.”

The Terps will have a live scrimmage Saturday and Edsall said he hopes not only the quarterback, but potential starters elsewhere begin separating themselves and solidifying their roles.

“I don’t want to make decisions too soon,” Edsall said. “I want the guys to decide who is going to be out there. We will get to a point where if they don’t decide based on what they are doing, that is a call myself and the coaches will have to make.”

The coaches will soon have to make those decisions with the season opener against Richmond looming September 5th, especially at quarterback, a position Garman thinks can lead an explosive offense.

“I think, in this offense, we have the ability do whatever we want,” Garman said. “We are very versatile and we can go to lots of different formations.”

 

News and Notes

  • Freshman running back Ty Johnson did not practice Tuesday due to illness, Edsall said.
  • Another intriguing competition in camp is who is going to be snapping to the Terps’ quarterback this season. The center position is between Brendan Moore and Evan Mulrooney. Mulrooney started atop the depth chart when preseason practice opened, but Moore is running with the first-team offense as of now, Edsall said.
  • Rowe said he feels good physically after coming off a second knee injury.
  • With Johnson out of Tuesday practice and Wes Brown going through strength drills on the side throughout practice, junior running back Joe Riddle saw action with both the first and second team offenses. Riddle, who has primarily been a special teams player, has a chance to be used in the offense with a thin and often injured running back corps.
  • The 2015 season will be the last for tight end P.J. Gallo. The junior, who caught his first career touchdown in a win over Penn State last season, accepted a job offer at Goldman Sachs after completing a summer internship internship at the investing company. Gallo will start the job in July and forgo his final year of football.
  • Big Ten conference officials will accompany the Terps through practice and various meetings Wednesday. The officials, who were also involved in Tuesday practices, took part in their evening meetings to explain new rules and other relevant information.
  • There have been no departures since camp started. Everyone who started camp is still there, Edsall said.