Aside from star cornerback Will Likely, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty in the Maryland secondary.
However, sophomore Darnell Savage is one player that could step up and be a big-time producer for the Terrapins this season.
Maryland’s secondary wasn’t elite throughout the 2015 season, but they did do a solid job of defending the pass. The Terps surrendered 258.4 yards per contest through the air along with 8.1 yards per pass.
One of the areas where Maryland did struggle was in the turnover department. The Terps only had nine interceptions on the season, which was dead last in the Big Ten.
From last year’s group, Sean Davis, A.J. Hendy, and Anthony Nixon all graduated. That leaves Likely and a good amount of question marks for new defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim.
Despite limited playing time in 2015, Savage could be the guy that can step in and start opposite Likely.
Savage was brought in as a three-star recruit by Randy Edsall. He didn’t have a boatload of offers, but was rated as a top 100 cornerback in the 2015 class.
While Savage is very young, Likely was a true freshman when he was forced into a starting role due to injuries at cornerback during the 2013 season. That proved to be a blessing in disguise because Likely was clearly an extremely talented player with NFL potential.
Saturday Blitz
In 10 games, Savage recorded 12 tackles (11 solo) with the majority of his production coming over the final five games.
Savage’s best game came against Rutgers in the season finale. The Caravel Academy (Del.) product accumulated five solo tackles in a 46-41 Maryland victory.
Savage oftentimes found himself matched up against star Scarlet Knights wideout Leonte Carroo. While Carroo did record two 20-plus yard catches against Savage, the Maryland cornerback never let Carroo get past him.
Savage has tremendous quickness that allows him to run stride-for-stride with opposing wide receivers.
After all, Savage also was a jack-of-all-trades on the offensive side of the ball during his high school days. His speed allowed him to be a weapon as a running back, wideout, and return man.
One of the most impressive attributes that Savage possesses is his tackling ability.
Savage is very fundamentally sound when it comes to tackling. Some defensive backs have the tendency to tackle above the waist.
However, Savage nearly always goes for the legs and wraps up the opposing ball carrier. With the amount of speedy wideouts in the Big Ten, Savage’s combination of speed and tacking ability could really come in handy for the Terps.
Maryland will likely have an open competition for the second starting cornerback spot. In addition to Savage, Antwaine Carter, Alvin Hill, and Jarrett Ross also figure to be in the mix for the position.
Coach D.J. Durkin could elect to go with a senior like Hill or Ross opposite Likely. Both Hill and Ross had similar production to Savage in 2015, so no one should really have a leg up in the competition at this point.
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Regardless of if he starts or not, Savage should almost certainly be a prominent part of the cornerback rotation.