Maryland’s Mike Locksley Comfortable, Confident in 2024

© Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 Big Ten Conference season brings new questions for the Maryland Terrapins. For the first time this fall, a quarterback competition will play out and some of the B1G's top teams are left off the schedule. Mike Locksley, the Maryland coach since 2019, looks to have a team he is comfortable and confident with.

"[That] kind of defines the 2024 iteration of the Maryland football family, a comfortable and confident team," Locksley said during the final day of the Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. "Not comfortable as in we think we've arrived, but comfortable in knowing who we are.”

Locksley heads into the new season in a transition mode after going from an offensive to a defensive-led team.

"Now as we transition to becoming what I feel is a defensive-led team, where we have the seven returning starters that are coming back and a handful of other guys that have played some really significant minutes," he said. "I'm really excited. If you study my background, the first half of my career, the first eight, nine years, I coached on defense. I played defense in college”

Who Will Start at QB?

Maryland’s Locksley also heads into the season for the first time in a few years without starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. Locksley, with the help of Tagovailo under center, has led Maryland to three straight bowl games.

"I know a lot of you guys are saying, what are you going to do without Lia, man? I'm still trying to figure it out myself,” Locksley said about his potential starting quarterback.

Now Locksley needs to pick a starting quarterback and hope he can lead the Terrapins to a fourth straight bowl game.

MJ Morris, a transfer from North Carolina State, looks to be the best option at this point for Maryland. Last season for the Wolfpack Morris threw the ball 113 times and completed 63 passes for 719 yards and 7 touchdowns. The concern for Maryland fans is in his limited playing time and that he threw 5 interceptions to go along with the touchdowns.

Schedule Help

The B1G has gone away from divisions which means the Terrapins will not have to play the likes of Ohio State and Michigan.  Although not facing off against those perennial conference contenders, the Terps will have to play Big Ten newcomers Oregon and USC. 

Maryland also have six winnable games before facing off against USC at home on Oct. 19.  Maryland plays on the road against Oregon on Nov. 9 and Penn State on Nov. 30.

If Maryland is going to compete and break the status quo of who is on the top of the B1G each season, their defense will need to come up big. They will also need to find and set their new identity on offense under the leadership of a new quarterback.