Ask the Terrapin football team’s players and coaches about true freshman running back Davin Meggett, and they’ll say he’s way ahead of schedule, running through holes and past defenders like a player much further into their collegiate career. Ask Meggett about his success, and he doesn’t seem to understand what the big deal is.
The emergence of Meggett, who has supplanted injured redshirt sophomore Morgan Green as the primary backup to redshirt sophomore starter Da’Rel Scott, has been the big surprise of camp.
Meggett, the son of former NFL Pro Bowl running back Dave Meggett, has impressed coaches and teammates with his knowledge of the playbook and his play in scrimmages. He rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in the team’s scrimmage Saturday, and has passed Green, who has battled injuries throughout his Terp career, on the depth chart. A quad injury has kept Green out of practice since the team’s first scrimmage Aug. 9.
“I can’t wait for Morgan,” coach Ralph Friedgen said after the Terps’ second scrimmage of the summer. “[Meggett is] solidly in second place, may be pushing for first.”
A majority of Meggett’s yards came on two carries – a 74-yard sprint that came up two yards short of the goal line (he scored on the next play) and a 49-yard touchdown run that began when the right side of the offensive line opened a massive hole through which Meggett ran virtually untouched.
“I thought he ran harder, he wasn’t as cautious as he’s been, and he showed what kind of speed he has once he gets out into the open,” Friedgen said.
No one had been as taken aback by Meggett’s early success as Meggett himself. When asked if he was surprised by how quickly he’d risen up the depth chart, Meggett responded, “Absolutely, without a doubt. I had no clue.”
Meggett has turned heads this summer with his quick grasp of the playbook and his performances in both scrimmages. In the first scrimmage, he ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard scoring run that was the longest play the offense had all day. Of the five rushing touchdowns the Terps offense has scored in scrimmages this month, Meggett has scored four of them.
“He’s only a freshman, and this is his second week of camp, and he’s already doing a good job,” quarterback Chris Turner said of Meggett. “Since I’ve been here I don’t think I’ve seen a freshman running back do as well as he has.”
One player who might not be as surprised by Meggett’s emergence is the one he’ll be backing up. Scott recalled talking to Meggett at a couple spring practices about the playbook and knew the freshman was coming to camp prepared.
“In two weeks we’re kicking off for the first game, so I need to get comfortable with some kind of back, and I feel as though if he is that No. 2 back then I have a lot of confidence in him to help me out when I need to come out,” Scott said.
Meggett’s success has also highlighted some areas of concern for Friedgen. All of the offense’s touchdowns in the second scrimmage came on or immediately following big plays. In addition to Meggett’s runs, freshman wide receiver Ronnie Tyler caught a pass from Portis on a crossing route, turned up field and ran past multiple defenders for a 63-yard touchdown.
“It’s a double-edged sword. I would like us to take a drive down and score in the red zone,” Friedgen said. “We hit some long plays today, which worries me on the other side of the ball.”
While Meggett has used those long plays to skyrocket up the depth chart, he acknowledged that as of late he has taken it a little easier on studying his playbook.
“Recently I’ve just been letting the information I have marinate, and as new things come about I’ll look over and review,” Meggett said. “But basically I’m in a ‘marination’ stage right now.”
Another week of “marination” and Meggett should be ready for some burn in the home opener against Delaware.
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