We already knew former Terps’ left tackle Bruce Campbell would do something like this during his workouts on Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Campbell ran a 4.85-second (official) 40-yard dash, the fastest time for an offensive linemen at this year’s event. You can see the rest of his testing results here.
Now comes the hard part for NFL scouts and general managers, the debate that comes up every year at this time: How much stock should you put in to combine results?
The 2010 NFL Scouting Combine starts today in Indianapolis, and there will be three Terps in attendance trying to improve their draft stock.
Terps have had a lot of success in the event, a trend I explored in today’s piece about longtime strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt.
Left tackle Bruce Campbell, who is projected to go somewhere in the mid-first round according to most analysts, will be one of the most watched players in Indy. I touched on the subject of Campbell’s potential eye-opening performance in my story.
The Terps edged Navy 23-20 in 2005. Photo credit: WNST.net
The Terrapin football team released its 2010 schedule today, a slate that includes two intriguing nonconference contests and the usual ACC foes, plus Coastal Division opponents Duke and Miami.
Some initial thoughts after the jump:
Five former Terrapin football players will participate in showcase events in the coming weeks in preparation for April’s NFL Draft, an Athletics Department press release announced today.
Safety Terrell Skinner and fullback Cory Jackson will play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, and defensive tackle Travis Ivey will play in the Texas vs. The Nation game on Feb. 6.
Ivey, cornerback Nolan Carroll and tackle Bruce Campbell will all take part in the NFL Draft Combine, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 24.
The Terps begin spring practice on March 23.
Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Football beat writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel.
Bruce Campbell is turning pro. Adam Fried/The Diamondback
ESPN’s Joe Schad reported this morning that Terrapin junior left tackle Bruce Campbell will leave College Park for the 2010 NFL Draft.
At 6-foot-7, 310 pounds Campbell has the size and athleticism to merit serious first round consideration, even after a season when he was forced to sit out three games with turf toe and knee injuries and the Terps’ offensive line struggled. (Our Eric Detweiler detailed Campbell’s various injury issues back in October.)
“I feel I can be something special and this is best for me. I have good size and I can protect the quarterbacks’ blind side. I played defensive line in high school so I can also think like a defensive player, which is an advantage,” Campbell told Schad.
Campbell’s departure no doubt leaves a big hole in the Terps’ line for next season. He was the Terps’ anchor. In the few times the Terp offense showed potential this season – that 17-point second quarter against Clemson comes to mind – Campbell was at his best.
ESPN’s Scouts. Inc rated Campbell as the No. 24 overall prospect in the draft and the No. 4 tackle. And those numbers could improve if Campbell gives a solid combine performance, in the tradition of former Terps Vernon Davis, Darrius Heyward-Bey and numerous others.
Aaron Kraut is The Diamondback’s sports editor. He can be reached at akrautdbk@gmail.com.
Coach Ralph Friedgen told reporters this afternoon on a teleconference he is “very thankful for the opportunity” to return and coach the Terrapin Football team for at least one more season.
Friedgen met with Athletics Director Debbie Yow on Sunday and Monday to discuss the state of the program and Yow called Friedgen this morning to tell him he would be retained.
“I hope I wasn’t just judged on this year,” Friedgen said. “But I think it shows the confidence the administration has in me and our program. I’m willing to repay that with everything I have.”
When asked how he made his case to Yow, Friedgen said he focused more on his vision for the future rather than on defending his past.
He said he mentioned the number of true freshman and redshirt freshman who played significant snaps this season and how much he expects the team to improve.
Friedgen’s current contract expires after the 2011 season.
“Next year’s team will have a chance to be good,” Friedgen said. “But I think the following year we have a chance to be really good.”
Friedgen said he has met with Yow after each of his nine seasons as head coach, as it is Yow’s policy to meet with all of her coaches after their seasons end.
But Friedgen said he obviously realized what was at stake this season, and said he had been concerned during the season about possibly losing his job after the season.
“I’ve been in this a long time and it comes with the territory,” Friedgen said. “I know when we’re not winning games we’re not making a lot of people happy. Our fans, our alumni, our administration, but more importantly myself.”
Finally, Friedgen said he has not had a chance to fully evaluate his staff yet and he has not made any decisions yet about a change in personnel.
He said he will meet with his assistant coaches over the next few weeks and continue to evaluate everything in the program.
“[Yow] called me this morning and said to me ’Are you ready to move on?’” Friedgen said. “I said ‘Yes, I am.’ We were both excited and said ‘Let’s get to work.’”
Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Football beat writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel.
The following is the Athletics Department’s official statement regarding the retention of Coach Ralph Friedgen, sent out through its media relations office at approximately 11:20 on Tuesday morning.
FRIEDGEN TO REMAIN TERPS HEAD COACH
Recruiting class and returning players a cause for optimism
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Ralph Friedgen will remain the head coach of the Maryland football program. The decision comes after a comprehensive evaluation of the program, including detailed assessments of the 2009 season, recruiting and personnel.
“Coach Friedgen and I are in complete agreement on the expectation to return the football program to its competitive stature,” said Director of Athletics Debbie Yow. “He has assured the University and fans of his intentions to do whatever is necessary to become a top 25 program again. The efforts of our young team in 2009 were appreciated by Terps everywhere and many believe the squad improved considerably towards the end of the season. Coach Friedgen will continue his careful evaluation of staff, players and recruiting results, as the team moves into the offseason. He continues to have my full support.”
The regular season is over and the ACC will be sending seven teams to bowl games this season. Clemson, Boston College, and Florida State from the Atlantic Division; and Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina from the Coastal.
When all was said and done, the conference shook out much like it did last season. There was a lot of parity and unpredictability from week-to-week, and there were also a lot of solid programs. But there still aren’t any national title contenders, and never was that more evident than Saturday, when an underachieving Georgia team gashed ACC favorite Georgia Tech.
For the Terps it was a season to forget. Last week’s frustrating loss to Boston College left the program at 2-10 and in some serious turmoil heading into next season. Heads have already rolled in the conference as Virginia has already let coach Al Groh go, and there is speculation Ralph Friedgen is next.
In case you missed it, editor and power rankings contributor Aaron Kraut gave some solid reasons why “The Fridge” deserves another shot in today’s edition of The Diamondback.
He also still has Clemson at the top of his power rankings…
It’s been just as long a season here at Terrapin Trail as at the Gossett Football Team House. We even failed to show up last week, which was inexcusable. But we have enough guts to come back with a strong finale.
No matter the result of Saturday’s season finale against Boston College (the Terps lost 19-17), the question for postgame availability was obvious.
Will Ralph Friedgen remain the coach of this team next season?
It’s quite possible nobody knows the answer, not even AD Debbie Yow or other top-level administrators charged with making the final call. Friedgen will meet with Yow first. He said he wants to discuss some ideas he has for improvement “both from an offensive and defensive standpoint.”
It’s hard to predict if that means assistant coaching changes, a different offensive philosophy, both or neither.
Friedgen said he wants to be here next season, and as has often been the case during this difficult year, he got emotional. For evidence of that, check out the video below:
Aaron Kraut is The Diamondback’s sports editor. He can be reached at akrautdbk@gmail.com.
Much like the Terps’ entire season, the last quarter of the year was sloppy, kind of boring, and ultimately dissatisfying.
The Terps never really did anything to make it look like they might come back, and they have now completed the first 10-loss season in the history of the program.
The Terps finish 2009 2-10, 1-7 in the ACC, and on a 7-game losing streak.
Jamarr Robinson found Torrey Smith for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 1:34 to play, but by then it was too little, too late for the Terps.
Before the late, essentially meaningless touchdown, the highlights of the quarter were three turnovers on downs on failed 4th-and-1 attempts.
The Terps got stuffed from the BC 37 when Davin Meggett tried to convert about a minute into the quarter.
Then Eagle running back Montel Harris didn’t make it from the Terps’ 26.
Finally, Robinson came back in at quarterback for the Terps and tried a QB keeper with less than five minutes to go from the Terps’ 29 that had no chance after a tremendous play by an Eagle defensive lineman.
Eagle kicker Steve Aponavicius put it out of reach with a 42-yard field goal four plays later to make it 19-10 BC with 3:59 left.
And so ends our online game coverage of the 2009 Terrapin football team. Check the paper Monday for the game story and again later in the week for the season recap.
Whether he stays or goes, we will have all the postseason Ralph Friedgen news as it develops over the coming weeks.
Hope you enjoyed it. Too bad the Terps just weren’t good this year.
It is officially basketball season.
Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Football Beat Writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel.