Quarterback Daxx Garman drops back and searches for an open receiver during Maryland’s 28-0 loss to Michigan on Oct. 3. at Byrd Stadium.

The Terrapins football team’s quarterback situation didn’t get any clearer at coach Randy Edsall’s news conference Tuesday.

Four days before the Terps were to face No. 1 Ohio State, Edsall still hadn’t named a starting quarterback, and he’ll likely wait until Saturday to make that decision. Redshirt juniors Caleb Rowe and Perry Hills and fifth-year senior Daxx Garman are all listed as potential starters on the Terps’ most recent two-deep depth chart.

“What we want to do is find a guy that we feel can give us the best opportunity to win the ball game,” Edsall said. “That’s what we’re going to do through practice this week, and then we’ll make a decision game time on Saturday.”

READ MORE: BAILLARGEON: Maryland offense among worst in the country

Edsall had already indicated Sunday on a teleconference that the Terps might not announce a starter until hours before kickoff. Rowe started the Terps’ last three games, but was benched for Garman in the third quarter in the past two contests. Rowe leads the nation with 12 interceptions, five more than any of his fellow signal-callers.

Hills, meanwhile, started the Terps’ first two games and leads the team with a 121.4 passing efficiency rating. Garman is the only one of the three who hasn’t started, but he has struggled when given a chance. He is 6-for-18 with an interception and a touchdown in two appearances.

“Those kids are out there trying,” Edsall said. “What we just have to do is keep working with them and kind of maybe change how we approach it with them in terms of the teaching methodology.”

Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson said he hopes whichever signal-caller gets the starting nod Saturday grabs the reins and ends the quarterback controversy that has surrounded the team all season.

“Whoever they put in there, I’m going to support them,” Jefferson said. “I’m going to back them.”

COCKERILLE LEARNING NEW POSITION

While the Terps quarterback battle has dominated attention, a former ESPN four-star quarterback recruit has been settling in at a new position on offense.

Fullback Shane Cockerille, who was under center with the first-team offense during this year’s spring game, is second on the depth chart behind redshirt junior Kenneth Goins Jr. Cockerille transitioned to fullback this summer after not seeing action at quarterback.

The two played together at the Gilman School in Baltimore, and Goins, who’s one year ahead of Cockerille, said the former quarterback is like a younger brother to him. Neither played fullback in high school, though.

Cockerille was a dual-threat quarterback at Gilman, while Goins played running back and linebacker and was The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year his senior year. When he arrived in College Park, the Terps turned him into a fullback.

While Cockerille adjusts to a new position, Goins has taken on a mentor role.

“I know what he can do,” Goins said. “I know what he’s capable of.”

Goins said Cockerille already understands the offensive plays from his time under center, but the hardest thing to learn as a fullback is proper technique. Instead of throwing a shoulder into a defender, fullbacks are taught to engage opponents with their hands, Goins said.

“It’s nice to be around someone I know a lot more than everyone else on the team,” Goins said. “It helps us build more camaraderie than we already have.”

TERPS EYE SEASON-ALTERING VICTORY

While recent history against ranked teams isn’t on the Terps’ side entering Saturday against the No. 1 Buckeyes, a look through the Terps’ records doesn’t paint as grim a picture.

The Terps are 0-11 against Associated Press Top 25 opponents under Edsall, and he’s 1-27 against ranked teams in his 16-year head coaching career.

Before Edsall arrived, though, the Terps had some success knocking off the top team in the country, going 2-3 all-time in those games.

Bettors aren’t on the Terps’ side after they’ve been outscored 73-6 in their past two games. Most sports books have the Terps as a 33.5-point underdog, but they are ready for the challenge.

“I’m excited,” Jefferson said. “Get to play against the No. 1 team in the nation. That’s a great opportunity to show what you got.”