Maryland football legend Shawne Merriman says Terps fans should be excited for what the next several years have in store for the program and is confident Maryland can win a Big Ten championship in the near future.
The Terps just finished the regular season 7-5, good enough to clinch bowl eligibility for a second consecutive season for the first time in nearly a decade (2013 and 2014). That marks a step forward for the program, especially considering two of the losses were solid efforts against the Big Ten’s elite. Maryland lost 34-27 at Michigan Sept. 24 and 43-30 to Ohio State Nov. 19.
However, 23-10 and 30-0 losses at Wisconsin and Penn State, respectively, were disappointing developments for a program seeking week-to-week consistency. The Terps totaled 323 yards of offense in consecutive weeks against the Badgers and Nittany Lions in bad November weather.
Merriman played for Maryland under Ralph Friedgen from 2002-2004 and is third in program history in sacks with 22. The eight-year pro believes the Terps are close to breaking through.
“When you look at how this team is built and the new stars and recruits that are coming in here, if you’re not excited for the next two, three, four-plus years of Maryland football, it’s crazy,” Merriman said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov. 23, “because I really do believe after watching that Michigan game and Ohio State game how close they really are to being a great football team.”
Merriman says Maryland can get over the hump by keeping the best local recruits home. The three-time Pro Bowler believes the talent in the DMV compares favorably to other talent-rich areas in the country, such as Florida, Texas and Southern California.
Head coach Michael Locksley, armed with deep connections in the DMV, is perhaps the coach best suited to keep top recruits home. He brought several well-regarded local recruits to College Park the last few years, including safety Nick Cross (DeMatha), receiver Rakim Jarrett (St. John’s) and linebacker Jaishawn Barham (St. Frances). Locksley does have some work to do to close out a 2023 class that currently ranks No. 47 in the 247Sports composite ratings.
Locksley was Maryland’s recruiting coordinator when the Terps reeled in Merriman, so the two D.C.-area natives have known each other for years. Merriman says Locksley is the one to get Maryland to the next level.
“You can see Mike Locksley’s leadership toward the guys in that locker room and how they respond, how they react,” Merriman said. “I’ve gotten an opportunity to sit in some team meetings, and I just know that this is probably one of the most close and tight-knit groups they’ve had in several years there. I’ve really said this — they’re a little bit off. They’re a five-star quarterback away in the next couple of years. They’re a five-star left and right tackle [away]. They’re right there.”
Locksley is 19-23 overall in close to four full seasons as Maryland’s head coach, but the arrow has been pointing up since he took over. The Terps nearly put together an 8-4 regular season for the first time since 2010, but a two-point home loss to Purdue in October proved particularly harmful to those efforts.
There will be plenty of decisions made by current players in the coming days and weeks regarding the transfer portal and NFL Draft, but Merriman likes where the program is trending regardless.
“If they get these guys that are from this area to stay home … I believe in the next couple of years they can [win a Big Ten title],” Merriman said. “With this recruiting class coming in plus one more, I really do think they can. In my opinion, they can’t let the Purdues and those games slip by them and look that way against Wisconsin or Penn State. If they’re able to fix those problems and not have those letdowns, I do believe they can win a Big Ten championship in the next couple years.”
For more from Merriman, listen to the full interview here:
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