Head coach Mike Locksley has routinely said it takes “about three years” to develop offensive linemen, but Maryland fans got a long look at a future piece of their offensive line when freshman Terez Davis made his way onto the field vs. Villanova.
With Andre Roye sidelined after suffering a minor injury in the week three win vs. Virginia, Marcus Dumervil stepped up to make his first start at Maryland and second in his career. It didn’t last long, though, after going out with an apparent upper-body injury midway through the first quarter, vaulting Davis onto the field to replace him. While Davis drew snaps in all three games leading into Saturday, the Villanova game marked the first opportunity for the three-star signee to play “like a starter.”
“You look out and you see true freshman Terez Davis out there, starting and playing left tackle for 80% of the game and really did a good job holding his own, which is why it's important that we develop players and develop our guys,” head coach Mike Locksley said following the win.
Maryland was able to rotate other freshmen in like Michael Hershey and Anthony Robsock, though head coach Mike Locksley noted the disappointment from Saturday’s game was the “lost opportunities to develop the rest of our roster.” But for Davis, a summer enrollee, his extensive snaps to close out non-conference play were deserved.
“Terez has put in the work to be able to go in – playing left tackle as a true freshman.”
His transition to the offensive line has been a desired move and a steady development. After lining up as a defensive lineman and tight end as a junior, Davis saw his recruitment pick up steam with buzz about his potential on the other side of the trenches. The Stags began tapping into that potential, turning the 6-foot-4 lineman to become their next left tackle. Davis’s experience at tight end was evidence enough of his athleticism, but his basketball background played a big reason why Davis, the son of former NBA star Ricky Davis, effortlessly showed his athleticism as he dabbled as a two-sport pledge for the Stags.
“[He] played a lot of positions, but he's the type of player that we thrive off of recruiting,” Locksley added. “We see –it's like Preston Howard was a quarterback that we said, hey, if you put some weight on and these are the skills we're looking for, pretty good tight ends. So I like the way that we've evaluated.
Assistant Kevin Sumlin led the charge into June of 2023 as the Terps beat out Georgia Tech for his summer commitment, then comfortably held onto his pledge despite interest from Florida, Auburn and Penn State through his senior season, to give the Terps its building block in the trenches. The former DeMatha athlete was viewed as a cornerstone of class as Locksley and his staff made the offensive line a priority in the 2024 cycle. While he has the potential to shift inside to center, Davis has been spotted with the second-team OL as a right tackle during the open portion of practices during the season with freshmen Michael Hershey and Ryan Howerton at center and guard, giving position coaches Brian Braswell, Damian Wroblewski and analyst Brian Ferentz a chance to develop the future of the line.
Villanova’s lone sack of the day came midway through the second quarter when Billy Edwards Jr. was sacked for a seven-yard loss, a drive that ultimately ended in Nolan Ray's second rushing touchdown of the season. While the sack came Davis was beaten, it served as a teaching moment for the high-ceiling local lineman.
“To have a true freshman play left tackle is a testament to the work that that guy has done, but also the job our coaches have done to get them prepared to play,” Locksley added. “And I don't care who it's against – Terez is going to be a great player for us. He's getting exposed and learning early. Gave up the early sack. Again, a young player that's playing, we're learning and winning. The sack maybe didn't hurt us now, but it'll benefit us down the road as he develops.”
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