Friday, February 10, 2012
Ex-Hokies’ quarterback linked with Maryland
Terps’ O’Brien seen as possible transfer
Doug Doughty
Doug Doughty's College Notebook Plus is exclusive to roanoke.com and is posted by 5 p.m. Fridays.
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With the volatility in the quarterback situation at the University of Maryland, maybe it’s not surprising that an old name has resurfaced.
Former ACC freshman of the year Danny O’Brien tweeted this week that he is a Terrapin “for now,” but there has been considerable speculation that he will transfer.
That would leave C.J. Brown, a part-time starter at quarterback in 2011, as the leading candidate to start in 2012, but what do the Terrapins have behind him?
In a story leading up to Friday’s announcement by previously uncommitted wide receiver Stephon Diggs from Good Counsel High School, Josh Barr of the Washington Post indicated that the Terrapins might have an interest in Ricardo Young.
Yes, that Ricardo Young. Young, who originally signed with Virginia Tech and was redshirted in 2010, apparently spent part of the 2011 season at New Mexico, where the head coach was newly named Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locklsey.
Barr’s story said Young currently is at Iowa Western Community College, although he is not listed on the 2011 Reivers’ (yes, that’s their nickname) roster.
Young would not have been eligible at New Mexico this season because he did not leave Virginia Tech until the preseason. However, having enrolled at New Mexico, the only way he could be eligible to play at the FBS level in 2012 is by graduating from junior college.
Interestingly enough, after committing to the Hokies in 2009, Young took a December visit to New Mexico, where Washington, D.C., product Locksley was completing his first season.
APPARENTLY, O’BRIEN HAS enough credits from Maryland to be able to graduate at the end of the summer term. According to current NCAA rules, he would be able to play immediately at an FBS school as a graduate student, provided it is in a graduate curriculum that Maryland does not offer.
O’Brien suffered a broken left (non-throwing) arm that caused him to miss the final two games of the 2011 season and left him iffy for spring practice. It was estimated originally that the injury would take 12 weeks to heal.
If O’Brien were to transfer, he likely would attract some interest, but this isn’t a Russell Wilson situation, where the ex-North Carolina State quarterback spent the summer with his new teammates at the University of Wisconsin. Presumably, O’Brien couldn’t join his new teammates until the end of the summer term.
One of the schools that has been mentioned with O’Brien is Wisconsin, as well as Vanderbilt, where the head coach is O’Brien’s former offensive coordinator at Maryland, James Franklin. Unlike the Badgers, Vanderbilt returns its starting quarterback, Jordan Rogers, younger brother of Green Bay Packers’ QB Aaron Rogers.
If O’Brien could graduate during the spring, a point of some contention, he would be able to join another FBS program for summer workouts. Maryland coach Randy Edsall has said that his information has not been able to confirm that. One advantage that O’Brien does have over Wilson is that he has two years of remaining eligibility.
REGARDING THE Diggs situation, Barr has indicated on the Post’s All-Met blog that Diggs is expected to sign tonight with Maryland, which would be a major “get” for the Terps.
It also might give the Terps’ a top-40 recruiting class, which would mean a bonus for Locksley (see last week’s column). Even so, what of the other coaches who signed players who would contribute to a top-40 class. Do they get nothing?
What does that do for staff harmony?
AS SOON AS I post something about UVa offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and his talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, something is certain to happen that will make my information untimely.
I do find it interesting, however, that Tampa Bay is talking about former North Carolina head coach Butch Davis as a senior advisor/defensive assistant to new Bucs’ head coach Greg Schiano.
One of the candidates for the Bucs’ offensive coordinator’s job is John Shoop, who was the offensive coordinator at North Carolina under Davis and continued in that role when Davis was dismissed before the season and was replaced by Everett Withers on an interim basis.
Does that give Shoop any advantage? Who knows?
IN THE ISSUE of the ACC Sports Journal that arrived in mailboxes this week, recruiting analyst Brick Oettinger had some strong praise for Virginia men’s basketball recruit Evan Nolte.
Oettinger was offering midseason superlatives on the class of 2012 – this was for all prospects and not just ACC recruits – and had Nolte listed as the only name in two categories: “Better Than Reported” and “Most Improved.”
Oettinger had Virginia Tech signee Montrezl Harrell listed as one of three players receiving honorable mention behind 2013 North Carolina recruit Isaiah Hicks as the “Best Leaper/Dunker.”
