Maryland Football 2011: 8 Items on the Terrapins' Summer "To-Do" List

After a successful 2010 season, the Maryland Terrapins are in the middle of a very busy offseason. Randy Edsall takes over head coaching duties from Ralph Friedgen, who held the job for a decade. The pressure will be on Edsall to build upon the success Friedgen had in his final season at College Park.

Every team enters the summer with a laundry list of things they hope to accomplish before next season's opener. Maryland's list might be longer than some other members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) because of the coaching change, but that hasn't stopped early ranking sites from listing the Terrapins as a fringe Top 25 team.

If Maryland wants to take the next step and contend for a spot in the ACC Championship Game, here are eight things they will have needed to accomplish during the summer months.

Complete the Coaching Change

Ralph Friedgen led the Maryland Terrapins to a 75-50 (.600) record during his 10 years as head coach. He had an above .500 record in ACC play and went 5-2 in bowl games. In his final season with the Terrapins, Friedgen was named ACC Coach of the Year, which made it somewhat surprising to the casual college football fan that Friedgen was not retained.

Enter Randy Edsall, who had been the head coach of the Connecticut Huskies for the past 11 seasons. Edsall finished his tenure with a 74-70 record, but was 22-26 in Big East play since Connecticut joined the conference in 2004. Edsall will be charged with keeping the program moving in the right direction with a roster that should return seven starters on each side of the ball.

Joining Edsall will be new offensive and defensive coordinators. Gary Crowton will take the reigns of the offense. Crowton spent the past four years as the offensive coordinator of the LSU Tigers and has head coaching experience with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Brigham Young Cougars. Todd Bradford is the new defensive coordinator after spending the past three seasons with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.

Continue the Maturation of Danny O'Brien

As a freshman in 2010, Danny O'Brien exceeded the expectations of most the Maryland Terrapins faithful. O'Brien completed 57 percent of his passes for over 2,400 yards. He threw 22 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while leading Maryland to a 9-4 record.

It will be interesting to see how O'Brien backs up that strong first season. He has all the tools you like to see in a quarterback, but the dreaded sophomore slump will be hanging over his head as the season begins. The season won't start with a cupcake to build O'Brien's confidence either, as the Miami Hurricanes, who allowed less than 20 points per game last year, visit Byrd Stadium.

There isn't much depth behind O'Brien. Backup C.J. Brown threw just one pass last season and third stringer Troy Jones is a freshman. This places an even bigger burden on O'Brien if the Terrapins are planning on an ACC title run.

Determine a Backup Running Back

Last season, the Maryland Terrapins relied on the two-headed rushing attack of Davin Meggett and Da'Rel Scott. The two put up nearly identical numbers over the course of the season, combining for nearly 1,400 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. Meggett returns for his senior season, but with Scott no longer in the picture, Maryland will need somebody to step up and take the backup duties.

D.J. Adams, who scored 11 touchdown in eight games last season, would be the logical choice to receive more carries. He only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, however, and is more likely a short-yardage back.

Other names to consider include Kwabena Ofori, Jeremiah Wilson and Desmond Haynes. Whoever is selected to fill the slot behind Meggett will be hard pressed to match the production given to the Terrapins by Scott last season.

Retool the Wide Receiver Position

Losing top receiver, kickoff returner and apparent first pitch specialist Torrey Smith will be a tall task for the Maryland Terrapins. Second-leading wide out Adrian Cannon, who caught 36 passes for 324 yards last season, is also gone as is deep threat LaQuan Williams.

These losses leave a gaping hole in the receiving core. Quintin McCree will be the top returning receiver and he caught just 16 passes last season. This is a worrisome problem for Danny O'Brien who will need to find chemistry with a whole new set of pass catchers before a big game to open the season.

Aside from McCree, the other possible starting receivers include Kerry Boykins, Ronnie Tyler and Kevin Dorsey. The one thing the Terps have going for them at the position is size. Of the 10 players listed on the depth chart, seven of them are at least six feet tall.

Focus on Getting Better Starting Field Position

After the Maryland Terrapins ran a west coast offense under the previous regime, new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton is installing a spread offense. Although the spread has become more and more popular over the past decade, the tendency for three-and-outs increases.

There will be an extra importance on kickoff returns because of this switch. The Terrapins finished with the second-worst kick return numbers in the ACC last season, despite having a game-breaker in Torrey Smith handling the duties. There was likely a break down in blocking assignments that will need to be addressed in practice.

The difference between the best average starting position in the ACC was just 4.5 yards last season, which doesn't seem like a big deal. Over the course of the season, however, it works out to almost 200 yards of loss field position.

Continue Defensive Improvement

In 2009, a season all fans of the Maryland Terrapins would like to forget, the Terps allowed 31.3 points per game–the most in the ACC. They bounced back in 2010 though, allowing 22.3 points per game. That moved them into the middle of the pack in the ACC.

It will be Todd Bradford's job to continue that movement in a positive direction. Unlike Gary Crowton, who is changing the offensive scheme, Bradford will maintain the 4-3 base defense that was in place when he arrived.

Kenny Tate received All-Conference honors last season as a free safety, but will be moving to linebacker for his senior year. The Terrapins have a very strong cornerback group that includes Cameron Chism, Dexter McDougle and Trenton Hughes. The biggest question for the Terps defense will be, can they generate enough pressure on the opposing quarterback?

Move from Average to Elite in ACC Statistics

Maryland Terrapins rankings in 2010 (out of 12 ACC teams):

Total offense: 9th

Passing offense: 7th

Rushing offense: 10th

Total defense: 8th

Passing defense: 7th

Rushing defense: 8th

Despite these below average statistics, the Terps still manged to finish 5-3 in the ACC and 9-4 overall. If they can make across-the-board improvement, they should definitely be in contention for the ACC Championship Game berth.

Hit the Recruiting Trail for 2012

According to Rivals.com, the Maryland Terrapins have nine commitments for the 2012 class so far. The class appears to be on the weak side, with four of the nine players given no rating by Rivals. Offensive lineman Mike Madaras thus far seems to be the jewel of the class.

It is always difficult for a new coaching staff to recruit—players prefer coaches that are entrenched in their jobs. That makes it even more important for Randy Edsall to back up last season's success with another strong year in order to remove any fears potential recruits have regarding the program.

The main focus should be wide receiver. After losing the trio of wide outs discussed earlier, Maryland will lose three more at the conclusion of this season. The ability to play right away is always something incoming freshman are hoping for, and Edsall should be able to offer that to at least two recruits.