Maryland football’s new-look secondary is largely unproven but oozing with potential

After looking at Maryland’s special teams unit Monday and its defensive line Wednesday, we continue our football position previews with the defensive backs.

The Terps return seven of 11 starters from last year’s defense. Three of those not coming back — Beau Brade, Tarheeb Still and Ja’Quan Sheppard — started in the secondary.

Maryland also lost plenty of secondary depth in the transfer portal. Corey Coley Jr., Gavin Gibson, Tamarcus Cooley and Avantae Williams left the team in the offseason, providing plenty of opportunity for an unproven group that features just three players with more than 200 career snaps at the FBS level.

A secondary room led by a trio of veterans

The defensive backs room is anchored by three upperclassmen: Dante Trader Jr., Jalen Huskey and Glendon Miller.

Trader enters the season as the unit’s most experienced player. The safety started 12 games last season, recording 53 tackles and two interceptions. He played for Maryland’s lacrosse team as well during his sophomore year, but he is now fully focused on football and ready to help lead the team. Defensive coordinator Brian Williams called Trader an example of someone ready to “take the bull by the horns.”

Huskey, a Frederick, Md., native, joined the Terps via the transfer portal after two seasons at Bowling Green. The 6-foot-1, 196-pound cornerback earned first-team All-MAC honors last season, racking up 30 solo tackles and four interceptions — including one thrown by former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Miller is an X-factor on the Terps’ defense. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound redshirt senior had his best season yet in 2023, recording 37 tackles, four interceptions and four PBUs. His 84.7 PFF coverage grade was eighth among Big Ten defensive backs and the highest among Maryland’s.

He’s listed as a safety, but his range and ball skills give him the flexibility to play all over. Miller has displayed the ability to play slot corner, inside the box and in two-high safety formations at a high level.

Miller played about 60% of his snaps from the slot last season, but Brade’s departure leaves a gaping hole in a defense that runs plenty of two-high formations. With Trader and redshirt senior Rex Fleming being the only other safeties with more than 13 career appearances, expect Miller to play more true safety in 2024.

Wherever he lines up, Miller will have a huge impact on the Terps’ defensive success. And if he improves, the unit as a whole will look a lot stronger.

Trader will start at safety and Huskey will start at cornerback. Miller will bounce between both spots. Beneath that trio, the depth chart is wide open for new contributors to emerge.

Inexperienced depth shined in limited playing time

Head coach Mike Locksley used last season’s Music City Bowl against Auburn to preview what Maryland’s 2024 secondary will look like. If that game is any indication, the unit’s ceiling is comfortably high.

Perry Fisher, Lavain Scruggs, Kevis Thomas and Lionell Whitaker all saw season-highs in snaps. The Terps’ defense held Auburn’s quarterbacks to a combined 21-for-42 for 224 yards and just one passing touchdown en route to a 31-13 decimation of the Tigers.

Scruggs and Miller recorded interceptions. Miller took his back for six.

Fisher also performed well in the game. The 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore recorded two pass breakups, one tackle for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery, showing the ability to play both outside corner and in the slot.

The Terps’ spring game provided an opportunity for more depth pieces to make their name known. No one in the secondary did this better than redshirt freshman cornerback Jonathan Akins, who intercepted a Cameron Edge pass and returned it 94 yards for a score.

Akins only appeared in one game last season, but with plenty of snaps available at cornerback, he could carve out a role on the team this season.

Thomas recorded a pass breakup in the spring game, while redshirt freshman cornerback Tayvon Nelson tallied four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.

Best of the rest

Fleming, redshirt junior cornerback Chantz Harley and redshirt freshman safety Alex Moore all saw the field in more than six games last year. That trio saw a combined eight snaps in the Music City Bowl.

Maryland added five freshman cornerbacks and two freshman safeties. That group is headlined by safety Brandon Jacob, the Terps’ only 2024 four-star recruit.

Jacob, a 6-foot-1, 194-pound Florida native, picked Maryland over major programs like Alabama, Ohio State and Texas A&M. He could immediately see playing time with the vacancy created by Brade.

Freshman cornerbacks Braydon Lee, Kevyn Humes and Lloyd Irvin III were all top-100 players in their class at the position.