July 24, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The following is the eighth in a 10-part series previewing the 2003 University of Maryland football team. The Terrapins open fall camp on August 4th in preparation for their season opener at Northern Illinois on August 28th.

Today's portion of the outlook for 2003 features takes a look at the Terrapin linebacking corps, a position that has a few questions but is stocked with talent. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday in the month of July for a breakdown on each component of this year's team (a complete list of when each position's synopsis will be posted on umterps.com can be found at the bottom of this page), a squad ranked by most preseason publications in the top 15 nationally.

Linebacker

The first question out of most people's mouths when mentioning the Maryland linebacking corps will likely have something to do with the loss of E.J. Henderson. The Terrapins' first-ever Butkus and Bednarik Awards winner will surely be missed in 2003, but a second look shows that every player who surrounded Henderson a year ago returns.

When preseason camp commences, the player slated to fill the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year's spot in the middle is true sophomore D'Qwell Jackson (Largo, Fla.). Though Jackson could likely not fill Henderson's shoes literally (he gives away 30 or so pounds to the former Terp), the attributes that he brings to the table suggest that he may be able to fill his shoes figuratively speaking. Like Henderson, Jackson is a quiet player who lets his play do the talking. He has a nose for the ball is a solid tackler but probably gets from sideline-to-sideline quicker than Henderson. He played in all 14 games last year, finishing with 51 tackles while posting his season-high in the opener against Notre Dame when called on to replace Henderson.

There will be competition for the "Mike" spot as Reggie Holmes (Bowie, Md.) and incoming freshman Wesley Jefferson (Clinton, Md.) will also be in the mix. Holmes has improved on his physical condition since last year while Jefferson was the consensus top-rated middle linebacker in the nation as a prep last year.

Last year's leading returning tackler is senior Leon Joe (Clinton, Md.), an athletic linebacker who will likely have more eyes upon him this season. Joe runs well and spends a lot of time in the opposition's backfield while remaining, pound-for-pound, one of the strongest players on the team. He had a career-high 103 tackles a year ago and will be backed up by a pair of athletic players in the form of senior Andrew Henley (Riverdale, Md.) and redshirt freshman David Holloway (Stephentown, N.Y.). Henley may be the team's most versatile linebacker as he could also see time in the middle if need be, while Holloway is a hard-working player who had his moments as a member of the scout team last year.

At strongside ("Sam") linebacker is another senior starter returning for the defense in Leroy Ambush (Frederick, Md.). Ambush has been a steady performer for the last two years, making him the perfect compliment to sophomore William Kershaw (Raeford, N.C.), a talented, athletic second-year player who enters the season behind Ambush on the depth chart. Along with D'Qwell Jackson, Kershaw was one of two true freshmen who looked good right out of the chute last year. As mentioned previous, another player who will likely be back at "Sam" after working on the other side of the ball is sophomore Ricardo Dickerson (Hyattsville, Md.). Dickerson gives the Terps its third proven player at the position and more competition than most positions on the team.

One of the few spots on the defense that will see intense competition for the starting job is the "LEO" position. Junior Jamahl Cochran (Morristown, N.J.) is the incumbent after having the best season of his career last year. Cochran is a working class player who is solid against the run and improved his pass rushing skills last year. His experience bodes well at the position that is described as the most complicated on the defense based on the number of reads a player must go through. His competition, true sophomore Shawne Merriman (Upper Marlboro, Md.), will give the team a boost whether it be as the starter or off of the bench as he did a year ago (49 tackles, six TFLs, five sacks, five PBUs). By all accounts, Merriman is a future star at Maryland, combining athletic prowess on an ideal frame (6-3, 246) with a motor that won't quit. Either way, the Terps can't go wrong with this duo competing.

Also working at "LEO" (which is an acronym for Linebacker/End Option) will be starting longsnapper Jon Condo (Philipsburg, Pa.) and first-year players Jermaine Lemons (Tampa, Fla.) and Omarr Savage (Piscataway, N.J.).

"We will obviously miss E.J. (Henderson), but we get better and better each year at linebacker," said Friedgen. "We are getting a lot of kids who can run and tackle and whereas a year ago we didn't have a lot of depth, now we do with the linebackers who turned out from last year's class and the ones we have in this year's class. We know it is a necessity to have a lot of linebackers in a 3-4 defense and I feel like we are getting where we want to be in that regard."

Outlook Schedule on UMterps.com:
Offense/Quarterbacks        Posted Tuesday, July 1

Tailbacks                   Posted Thursday, July 3

Fullbacks                   Posted Tuesday, July 8

Wide Receivers              Posted Thursday, July 10

Tight Ends                  Posted Tuesday, July 15

Offensive Line              Posted Thursday, July 17

Defense/Defensive Line      Posted Tuesday, July 22

Linebackers                 Posted Thursday, July 24

Defensive Backs             Tuesday, July 29

Specialists                 Thursday, July 31

For season ticket information, please call the Terrapin Ticket Office at (301) 314-7070 or (800) 462-TERP (8377).