Maryland Football: Teldrick Morgan offers a ton of versatility
By Chris Bengel
The wide receiver position has gotten even deeper at Maryland.
Former New Mexico State star Teldrick Morgan announced his commitment to the Terrapins on Tuesday afternoon and could offer a ton of versatility.
Morgan comes to College Park as a graduate transfer who will be eligible for the 2016 season.
Morgan, who starred at Fort Meade High School (Md.), caught 119 passes for 1,446 yards and 11 touchdowns in the last two seasons with the Aggies. In 2014, he recorded 75 receptions for 903 yards and seven touchdowns and earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors.
With the Terps already having quite a few productive wideouts in the fold, what exactly does Morgan bring to the table?
First of all, Morgan can affect the game in a multitude of different ways.
While he is a very prolific receiver, he also is a very talented return man. During the 2014 season, Morgan returned 16 kickoffs for 369 yards while running back six punts for 102 yards.
Obviously, Maryland has one of the best return men in the country in Will Likely. However, Morgan could be used on special teams to take some of the pressure off of Likely if the coaching staff would rather have him focus on being a lockdown cornerback.
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Morgan’s speed and elusiveness make him a very dangerous player in the return game. He may only be 6’0, but he has a wide array of moves that help him lose defenders in the open field.
Morgan was used in a variety of different ways during his time at New Mexico State.
The Aggies used Morgan similar to the way Percy Harvin was used during his time at Florida.
Morgan’s speed allowed him to be deployed as an ordinary wideout while also catch screen passes in the flat. He was even used out of the backfield at times.
As a traditional receiver, Morgan is certainly not afraid to go over the middle.
For example, in New Mexico State’s game against UTEP this past season, Morgan lined up in the slot and ran a simple slant pattern. As soon as he got a step on the defender, quarterback Tyler Rogers hit a leaping Morgan across the middle and Morgan took the ball all the way down to the 11-yard line for a 48-yard pickup.
As impressive as that play was, Morgan wasn’t done turning in big plays during that game.
Late in the fourth quarter, Rogers found a wide-open Morgan in the flat and he was able to stay inbounds and get to the pylon for the touchdown.
Morgan excels at running wheel routes in the flat and has the speed to make plays after the catch.
Another part of that is his ability to break tackles.
Despite not being the biggest guy in the world, Morgan can bounce off a tackle like it’s nobody’s business. He always keeps his legs churning, which oftentimes allows him to break away from defenders.
With Levern Jacobs and D.J. Moore being proven commodities on Maryland’s depth chart, the third wideout spot is open for competition. It looks as though it’ll be a battle between Malcolm Culmer, Taivon Jacobs, and Morgan for that position.
Next: Will Likely cracks Sports Illustrated's Top 100 list
Morgan’s experience could vault him into a starting role. At the very least, Morgan will be a valuable asset on Saturdays for Maryland during the 2016 season.