Replacing Taulia Tagovailoa is a difficult task for Terps football.

With one of the most important decisions of Michael Locksley's tenure at Maryland looming this fall, it's no surprise that he's in a position to gather as much data as possible.

This spring, the Terps' head coach will not only be observing potential quarterback replacements, he will be directly coaching them. He is in charge of the position room, which has up to six candidates registered to replace Taulia Tagovailoa. Taulia Tagovailoa is a fourth-year starter for the program and is the all-time Big Ten leader in passing yards.

“This is a marathon, a marathon,” Locksley said Saturday after the Terps practiced at Morgan State University. “We’re going to live with the ups and downs that come with competition.”

Spring practice, especially a stormy, chilly one like Saturday's, showed, if not all, how painstaking the process of finding a successor can be.

Returning quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. and Cameron Edge combined for 228 yards on 16-of-39 attempts last season, but were under constant pressure. If it weren't for his yellow non-contact jersey, he might have spent most of the afternoon eating grass. Neither of them achieved remarkable results by throwing the football. MJ Morris, a transfer from North Carolina State University, has the most starting experience on the team, but he didn't play much in one of Maryland's few public scrimmages this spring.

Locksley's claim that he won't know who his starting quarterback will be until the week before Maryland's season opener against UW may seem game-manlike to some. But the delayed deadline may stem from a genuine dilemma. How do you replace the most prolific passer in Maryland history?

At spring media day, Locksley said it was “strange” not to go to work for Tagovailoa, who was as much a tone-setter as the staff himself and was entrenched with the Terps.

“The four years he was here, we watched every practice together from 10 p.m. to sometimes 1 a.m.,” Locksley said. “And he and I have grown together. Him as a quarterback and me as a head coach.”

Over the past four years, the Terps have averaged at least 260 passing yards per game with Tagovailoa at the helm. Maryland ranked in the bottom half of the conference last season, averaging just 108 rushing yards per game, and relied on Tagovailoa's arm and play-extending instincts to get out of trouble. This was the main reason the Terps were able to win at least his seven games in each of his last three seasons, even though they rarely beat the Big Ten's top teams.

As with any signal caller who stays in the job for a long time, some critics wondered if Tagovailoa had enough talent to take the Terps to a higher level. But even if the former leader of the offensive line didn't raise Maryland's ceiling, he probably would have raised the program's floor. This fall, an expanded and tougher Big Ten schedule that includes games against Oregon State, Penn State, USC and Iowa State could painfully reinforce that truism.

Locksley said Saturday that the program is “ready to compete in the Big Ten for a championship,” but there's a chance Maryland will be competing week in and week out just to stay above water. seems to be higher.

There are other complicating factors in Maryland's passing offense. Although Caden Prather made a tough catch in an 11-on-11 scrimmage, the Terps lacked an explosive passing game Saturday, with senior receiver Jae'Sean Jones and tight end Corey Dyches It was a reminder of what we lost through the transfer gate.

Locksley has emphasized his belief that the Big Ten in particular will win or lose in the trenches, which is why he has worked hard to recruit high school offensive linemen who can develop into the players the Terps need to compete. This is the reason why it was possible. Hard-hitting running back Roman Hemby, who plateaued after a big showing in his sophomore season, is back and said he's ready for extra carries to make up for the loss of Tagovailoa. .

“Losing a player like Leah is something you have to get used to,” Hemby said, adding that the Terps have “great” quarterback competition. “I’m taking on the role of being a tone-setter so that I can give them something they can rely on when they need it for the season.”

There's still a lot of football left this spring, and Locksley will have time to work closely with his quarterback. But for the Terps, who don't have a clear passer to lead them forward, “setback'' is already something they have to worry about.

Kyle joined the Baltimore Banner in 2023 as a sports columnist. He previously covered various sports for his County in Orange, his Register where he covered the LA Lakers, and his Tribune in Salt Lake. He is a graduate of Mount Hebron High School and the University of Maryland.