Maryland Football: D.J. Moore looking to take leap forward

D.J. Moore had a tremendous season as a true freshman in 2015.

With a year of experience under his belt, the Maryland wide receiver will look to be even more productive this season.

Moore came to College Park as a three-star recruit for a flair for the big play. He was heavily recruited by Randy Edsall along with Florida wideout Jahrvis Davenport to be the future of the program.

According to 247Sports, Moore was rated as a top 50 wideout in the nation along with being one of the top players in Pennsylvania.

Moore looked like a future star for the Terrapins despite some very inconsistent play from the quarterback position. The Imhotep (Pa.) product hauled in 25 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns.

While Moore didn’t have any games that jump off the page, he was an integral part of the Maryland offense. Despite rising up the depth chart fairly quickly, he wasn’t expected to be one of the top options for quarterback Perry Hills.

The return of Levern Jacobs took some of the pressure off of Moore’s shoulders. The presence of Jacobs also allowed Moore to be the top deep option for the Terps.

Moore displayed his elite speed on several different occasions throughout the 2015 season.

After catching just two passes for 23 yards in the season opener against Richmond, Moore announced his presence to the world in the second game against Bowling Green.

With Maryland knotted at 13 with Bowling Green early in the third quarter, the Terps were in need of a game-changing play. Hills dropped back to pass out of the shotgun and hit Moore in stride on a crossing pattern around the Bowling Green 30-yard line.

After he shook off a pair of defenders, Moore turned on the afterburners and took it to the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown. The play was Moore’s second-longest touchdown reception of the season.

The touchdown showed the elusive speed of Moore. The fact that he took a simple crossing route all the way for six points was remarkable.

It also proved that Moore is comfortable with short, intermediate routes and isn’t all about the home run plays. After all, he did a large majority of his damage on screen plays during his high school days.

While he did display his versatility throughout the season, he also had moments where he hauled in deep passes.

Despite Maryland playing some of their best football against Ohio State on Oct. 10, that game will widely be known as Edsall’s curtain call. Following the 49-28 loss, the former Maryland coach had a memorable news conference in which he lashed out at a reporter and stormed off the podium.

It was almost as though the Terps were playing for their coach’s job because they came out firing on all cylinders in the first half.

On Maryland’s first offensive series, Hills dialed up a play action pass in which he dropped back and let go of a deep throw. Hills found a wide-open Moore in stride for a 52-yard touchdown, which was his longest reception of the season.

Moore was able to beat Vonn Bell in coverage for the easy touchdown.

The former Imhotep star clearly had a very impressive freshman campaign. He displayed several of the key traits that coaches want their wideouts to have.

Moore possesses extreme concentration, great hands, and elite speed no matter where he is on the field. He excels in the open field and does a large amount of his damage after the catch.

New wide receivers coach Chris Beatty certainly is going to have a loaded depth chart to work with in his first season. Jacobs and Moore are back and four-star wideout Tino Ellis will also be arriving on campus.

Next: Maryland Football: Season opener to kickoff at noon

The dynamic duo could be even more lethal in 2016. If Hills can get Moore the ball at a higher rate this season, Maryland could be returning to bowl eligibility in D.J. Durkin‘s first season in College Park.