Maryland football had another open practice this Friday, and it looks like some of the younger Terps are really starting to shine. Here are our three takeaways from preseason so far.
1. Isaiah Davis benefits from his older brother Sean’s advice
Sean Davis was a member of Maryland football 2012 to 2015, recording 319 total tackles and five interceptions. His strong performance in college led to him being a second round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Sophomore linebacker Isaiah Davis is Sean’s younger brother and is making the most of having an older brother who has made it in the pros.
The younger Davis sends practice and game film to the elder Davis, looking for critiques and advice on his performance from his NFL sibling.
Isaiah also had Sean to talk to during a particularly embarrassing moment from his freshman season: a late hit on Penn State kicker Joey Julius that led to an ejection and eventual suspension.
Sean called Isaiah almost immediately after the Penn State game. According to Isaiah, Sean advised him that “there are cameras on you all the time, so you need to keep your composure 24/7.”
2. Pass blocking is the main focus for the offensive line
Maryland was fourth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, with Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison both being constant big play threats. However, they also got some help from a very solid offensive line, clearing holes for the duo to make big plays. Meanwhile, the passing game lagged behind, ranking 10th in the conference in yards per game.
Sophomore offensive lineman Terrance Davis says the team is hoping to improve the team’s pass blocking, with a major focus on reducing the amount of sacks allowed.
Davis also mentioned that the offensive line has focused on being “technically sound” to prevent sacks this summer.
3. Freshman offensive lineman Marcus Minor earned praise
Marcus Minor was a four-star prospect and the fifth highest rated recruit in the state of Maryland’s class of 2017, according to 247Sports. There is quite a bit of buzz around the former Dematha lineman and so far he has impressed both his head coach and one of his teammates from both high school and college.
“Marcus is a terrific football player, he works really hard,” head coach DJ Durkin said. “He learns easy.”
Durkin also mentioned that he would not rule out Minor getting playing time as a freshman.
When Terrance Davis was asked to talk about freshmen that have impressed him in practice, he also highlighted Minor.