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Maryland Football: Gage Shaffer looks to make some noise

By Chris Bengel

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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The Maryland quarterback battle was largely thought to be a two-horse race.

However, coach D.J. Durkin made it clear that it will be an open competition. With that being said, Gage Shaffer will look to make some noise in the coming weeks.

Shaffer was an afterthought in Maryland’s 2015 class that was highlighted by Quarvez Boulware, Ty Johnson, and D.J. Moore.

According to 247Sports, the Frankfort (West Va.) signal caller was rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 42 pro-style quarterback in the country. He was also rated as the second-best player in the state of West Virginia.

Shaffer hasn’t seen the field during his time at Maryland, but was in the news for being suspended for the final two games last season. The suspension was for an unspecified violation of the student-athlete code of conduct.

Shaffer will now attempt to put all of that behind him and turn some heads during fall camp.

One of the first things that jumps out about Shaffer is his size. There’s very few quarterbacks are that 6’7 yet still very athletic.

During his high school days, Shaffer was extremely mobile in the pocket and had no issues with making throws on the run. The fact that Shaffer had a very strong arm, certainly helped him in a big way.

In Maryland’s Red-White Spring Game, Shaffer showed flashes of how talented he is.

The former Frankfort standout capitalized when Levern Jacobs used a double-move to get by his defender. Shaffer was able to find Jacobs in stride for a 51-yard touchdown.

Shaffer definitely has his work cut out for him this summer.

Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe are certainly the two frontrunners to win the starting job despite having their fair share of struggles throughout the 2015 season. The duo combined to throw just 14 touchdowns while being intercepted a whopping 28 times.

The large abundance of turnovers could be one of the main reasons that Durkin and his staff are considering it an open competition. After all, Durkin isn’t loyal to any of the Randy Edsall‘s quarterbacks because he didn’t recruit them to College Park.

Shaffer brings a large amount of athleticism to the table along with a strong arm.

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Fall camp is going to be a huge barometer for Shaffer and will tell if he’s an option for the Terps in 2016. If Hills and Rowe struggle like last season, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities for Shaffer to see the field this fall.

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