By Austin Kleber
Senior cornerback and special teams standout Will Likely will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, according to a Maryland Athletics press release sent Friday.
Likely played a crucial part in the Terps’ defense. He leads the team with three defended passes and places third with 32 tackles, with four for a loss.
Likely suffered the torn ACL in the second quarter of Maryland’s game against Minnesota last Saturday in what was likely his last game as a Terp.
“Will was one of the first people I met with when I accepted this job and it was quickly apparent how much he meant to his teammates and Maryland football,” Durkin said. “In the short time I’ve been here at Maryland, I understand and have a great appreciation for the significant impact Will Likely has had on our football program.”
The two-time All-Big Ten cornerback’s absence will influence more than just the defense. Likely is the reigning Big Ten return specialist of the year and is second all-time in the Maryland record book behind Torrey Smith with 2,233 kickoff return yards.
The All-American punt-returner was on the watch list of four different college football awards, including the Paul Hornung Award—given to the nation’s most versatile player—and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the nation’s most outstanding defensive player.
“Obviously, losing Will in a football game is a major hit to us because he does have a presence about him and he’s been here. Guys look up to him and listen to him,” Defensive coordinator Andy Buh said. “[But] our motto is ‘next man up.’ … We’re a team, we’re together. One guy does not make our football team and definitely not our defense. … I thought our guys did well responding in that situation.”
The ‘next man up’ was needed earlier this season when another key member of the Terps’ secondary, safety Denzel Conyers, tore his ACL. Conyers’ replacement, junior Josh Woods, has lived up to the team motto, ranking fifth on the team with 25 tackles.
Freshman Tino Ellis will be the next man up at cornerback on Saturday against Michigan State, earning his second career start. Ellis started against Minnesota and recorded five tackles.
“For his first start, he played unbelievably well,” Buh said. “We are excited about him and his growth. He’s going to be a major contributor. You’re going to see a lot of him in the future.”
Ellis is a versatile player that can play both receiver and cornerback, but with Likely out, he will probably log most of his minutes on the defensive side of the ball. Buh praised Ellis’ work ethic.
“Tino [Ellis] has been having some consistent practices where he’s just been outperforming. ” Buh said. “That’s one great thing about our program: every guy earns their seat at the table every day. Hopefully with what we know it will bring the best out of our football team and help us grown and continue to build the foundation that we’re trying to set.”
On special teams, there will be a few players expected to fill Likely’s role. After Likely left the Minnesota game early, receiver DJ Moore and running back Jake Funk took kickoff returns, while receiver Teldrick Morgan fielded punts.
The Terps have a lot of options for the return game, with seven different players other than Likely returning a punt or kickoff this season, including running backs Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison and receiver DeAndre Lane.
Likely’s recovery could take six-to-nine months before he is fully healed, which could be a concern at the NFL combine. He was named one of the six most versatile college football players by NFL.com and was expected to be a mid-round draft pick.
“He will continue to play a vital role in our program as we lean on him for his leadership and experience,” Durkin said. “I am confident Will has the work ethic, drive and focus to overcome this injury and continue his football career at the next level.”
