Just days after stud recruit Stefon Diggs committed to the Maryland Terrapins, three current players announced they will transfer from the school, including quarterback Danny O' Brien and left tackle Max Garcia.
O' Brien has been waffling back and forth on his college football future for some time, and many hinted that he would ultimately opt to start fresh elsewhere. He went from the ACC Freshman of the Year to a total dud under Randy Edsall in his sophomore year, which included a season-ending arm injury.
The loss of O' Brien means C.J. Brown will come into spring practice as the team's starting quarterback. The dual-threat quarterback was certainly a better match for Gary Crowton's system than O' Brien, who did not have the ability to take off with the ball or run the option. However, Crowton was replaced as offensive coordinator after just one season with Mike Locksley, and it's unknown exactly how well Brown will fit into his system.
Garcia was supposed to protect O' Brien's blindside, but instead will look to play ball closer to his family's home in Georgia. In some ways, the Garcia loss may be the biggest because the Terps don't really have a player ready to step in and play left tackle. At least at quarterback, Brown gained valuable experience last year and was certainly no worse than O' Brien.
It seems like good news around the Maryland football program is few and far between these days, and even when it does come around, more bad news is always right around the corner. Such has been the norm in the brief tenure for Edsall at Maryland, which has incensed fans.
Edsall's leash seemed to loosen a bit thanks to the hire of Locksley, who has brought in a few stud local recruits to ease some of the tension around the football program. However, he has to feel a little hot under the collar after losing three more players, two of which would have been major contributors to the team next season.
He is going to need to show significant improvement over the next two years to have any chance of keeping his job, so he better hope Locksley continues to work his magic on the recruiting trail.
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