Mike Locksley recaps spring game, Maryland football's development, QB room

On the QB competition

“Good question. Quarterback competition [is] obviously ongoing. I thought they all did some things this spring, whether it’s Justyn Martin and his acclimation to our system, Malik as a true freshman coming in early and being able to grasp it quickly. And then even to see Khristian Martin today, the guy that's been in the system the longest, to see him be able to operate things at a pretty decent level. So love the way that all of those guys have progressed this spring. In relation to Malik, I've said it many times, I think the thing that really stands out is the maturity that he shows. Due to, even though he has a lack of experience in our system, he doesn't have a lack of experience in managing a team, managing offenses, building. He did a tremendous job as a guy at Archbishop Spalding and elevating that program and I've seen him come in here and have a be really comfortable with being able to come in and pick up the things that we've asked him to do and looking forward to see his progress over the course of the next two to three months.”

On the extra work a staff does with a new QB

“There's not a lot of extra work. The system is the same system that we've run. As we've always talked about. Pep obviously will put his personality on it. There's some language differences that, with the new people, they're all learning it for the first time. So I don't think there's been any added work. I think what we've seen is the elevation of how the quarterbacks are being developed. But the guy like Pep who's got a pedigree having coached Andrew Luck in college and then in the pros, he had Alex Smith with the 49ers. He had Justin Herbert with the Chargers, a well experienced guy that knows what it takes to develop a young player quickly. And so I've been really pleased with the way that they've progressed under Pep’s leadership.”

On what Locksley has learned about his program this spring

“Again, I said just going in the spring, and maybe you guys don't believe me. All I wanted to do is get through the spring with the installations of our systems. There's a lot of moving parts. We're a really young team going into June 1. I won't know who my team is until they report here June 1 and we'll have some young guys coming in from high school. The portal closed yesterday, and as we always say, the portal, giveth and taketh. Then we've added some pieces. We've lost some pieces. And what we'll do now is kind of add and subtract things, put our roster together and most of the team building, most of what we know and learn about our team will take place in June, July, August, and then we'll go see what it looks like come September.”

What Locksley is looking for on defense

“Again, what we've done this spring is install the system that coach Monachino has brought in, and it fits. Again, when I've talked about we've had coordinator changes here before and the systems don't really change, because it's the Maryland system. And what Ted does is exactly what Pep has been able to do, is to bring things that we didn't have in the package and add to it. And if you look at Ted's background with the Ravens and Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, he's been in this system or versions of it. He's been able to add some things. I think what I'd like to see, obviously, moving into the summer, is for the guys to really get an understanding of exactly what it is that we're asking of them in this system. And so far this spring, I've been really pleased with the way they progressed.”

On the presence of Jalen Huskey

“Change is inevitable. You have to deal with it. But for Jalen Huskey, a guy that played corner for us, we moved him to the safety position during the season a year ago and I think you're really starting to see him very comfortable at playing in that deep part of the field. And a lot like what Glenn Miller was able to do as a transition. He's a guy that has corner skill set while playing in deep part of the field, which allows us a lot more versatility because he can play man coverage. He can cover slots, he can cover tight ends, and that adds value to our defense when you have a safety that has that ability to match up the way Jalen allows us to. But I think the biggest thing is that he's really got confidence. And a year ago early on, he was tested, and I just saw the kid keep battling. Very similar track to what I saw the young guys like Deonte Banks and Tarheeb Still, how they started out rough early in their careers, but as they earned those calluses and they got those scars, you started to see the ability. We saw that out of Jalen Huskey this spring.”

On the changing culture with roster turnover this offseason

“I said this at the beginning of the spring and for me, a guy that takes pride in having won the locker room for most of my career, a year ago, I didn't. And it's teaching lessons to, I always equate it to teaching guys how to fish. And, with the new landscape and the change that came with it, I found myself maybe not having that locker room the way I have. And it all starts with trust. And now, when you start throwing the new landscape into the mix and a lot of voices and players ears about value and what they think value is, you know, for me, it's winning that locker room back up but it starts with them. They have to win their locker room. They have to control the messaging in their locker room. It's my job to set the course division, the alignment. And I've been really pleased with the way some of the new guys have come in, and not with a lot of talking, but just the way they come in and work and the things they brought to the table. And also have a lot of respect for what some of the older players who, much like me, are dealing with this transient landscape of the locker room, but it's the world we live in. Hence why I say until June 1, when we get them all in here and that's where we'll really try to speed up the process of team building. But I think we've gotten off to a good start because I think this team understands that what happened last year is a byproduct of the locker room, and we all have to our part to fix it and we've set out to do just that.”

On whether Locksley wanted to see anything specific from the QBs

“We had a base gameplan. Like the same calls for everybody on the sheet. Pep called the game, both sides. So I think you just saw consistently us try to call things that allow our players to just run, block, catch, tackle, throw and kick. Like it wasn't about scheme. It wasn't about trying to out maneuver or trick people. I just wanted to see guys go play the game in its purest form in the spring kind of concept. It wasn't a game, wasn't a scrimmage. I was pleased with it.”

On the positive emotions during the spring game

“I saw that same joy when Khristian Martin was named MVP. I think this team understands that we need everybody to be at their best when their numbers [is] called. I think Malik Washington again, and I'm not here to put the pressure on him, but I know he's built for the pressure that comes along with competing to be the starter. Been really pleased with Justyn Martin and his transition and what he's been able to do. He started off a little slow early, but I love the way that he finished in the second half, a couple of good drives. And then to see Khristian be able to execute it really gives me hope that that room will be able to be good enough to give us chances to win.”

Whether there’s time to develop depth in the transfer portal

“I don't know if you follow us. We signed 32 players, so we half our team's not here yet. So if you look at the recruiting process, we got a bunch of guys coming. Depth won't be an issue.”

“You can't restock game experience. You have to get game experience, and that's my job, to get these young guys ready to play the way we practice.”

Whether Maryland will continue spring games, the value of a spring game

“This game for us, I called it a showcase more than a game. You saw interceptions, the ball come back. I had us on a pitch count. I knew how many reps I wanted to see certain players get. I wanted to see us run, block, catch, tackle, throw and kick. Will we continue it? I have to see how the landscape continues to change and we’ll always – the benefit for us was I got to see players in front of a group of fans, go play out and execute the stuff that we asked them to. I was pleased with what we did today.”

On wearing a Lakeland sweatshirt

“Just a little town that's near here that my great grandfather, Pleasant Brown, was one of the founding fathers of right near campus. So my other shirt was a little sweaty, so I just put this one on.”

On Locksley’s relationship with GM Geroy Simon

“Geroy's role for us is he's been the guy that's our capologist, the guy that manages the whole numbers involved with the cap. I've got Brian Griffin and Merci Falaise, who both are part of building my roster. Geroy, because of his experience of being a general manager in the Canadian Football League and one of the Terp greats, has been a great addition to what we've done and how we've built our rosters over the years. His ability to evaluate, to have another set of eyes. So what he's been able to do is make sure I stay within the cap, or within the range that I will have to build a team starting July 1. We've been resourced over the years to compete. Now with this cap thing and ability to shrink to where we all are playing with the same type of resources as I like to say, we'll get to see who can coach now.”

On WR Octavian Smith

“I’ve seen him grow up and we’ve needed Oct to do that. He's a guy that has kind of followed along that Tai Felton path where as a freshman, he contributed big catch in the bowl game as a true freshman. Year two, his catches went up, his numbers went up, his reliability went up, showing up for the things he needs to do to be a better player. His junior year, he's really grown, and now he's the guy that's kind of the old man in the room, per se. And I like what I'm seeing out of Octavian. We all know that he's had the ability to be a playmaker for us. He's a guy that we've relied on over the last year or two, and I expect him to take on that leadership role and continue to do some of the things that we've seen that wide receiver room do in this system.”

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