Terps Look For Go To Tight End to Emerge
I think any of us who witnessed Vernon Davis haul in passes, break tackles, and throw defenders off while blazing down the field have been waiting for another athlete like that to come along at the tight end position. We have been told that Drew Gloster was going to be that guy. As he comes into his senior year, he will be playing defensive end. So where does that leave the Terps this year? Well it could be a couple of guys, and they may both need to be used to really fill the TE roll for Maryland.
Devonte Campbell comes into camp listed as the starter at TE. He to has some of the athletic skills as VD. In terms of TE strength indexes, Campbell and Davis are among the leaders or leaders at almost ever discipline. Campbell has good hands and did play in 10 of the 12 games last season, starting the final four. He recorded 5 catches for 14 yards. Not exactly the type of production to give you chills, but keep in mind he is only a sophomore.
Second on the depth chart is Junior Lansford Watson, who is more of a pass catching TE. He has the size and skills to be a stud, but has not taken the steps on the field to really take off. This could be the year he takes the next step and becomes a consistent player.
Further down the depth chart is Matt Furstenburg and Will Yeatman. Furstenburg did play last year, but like Campbell and Watson, didn’t really do anything to separate himself from anyone else on the depth chart. On possible x factor could be Yeatman. He played two seasons at Notre Dame, before transferring to Maryland to play lacrosse. Now he has one season of football left. All indication is he really missed it, and I expect him to really go all out, and try and be on the field as much as possible. You always get excited when a player transfers from a football factory, and actually played early in their career (see Antwine Perez). The only problem is I tend to expect a lot more from them. Will Yeatman be the TE the Terps need to emerge, not only as a pass threat, but a more than capable blocker? Only time will tell. The true question is who will emerge. There are plenty of good candidates, it is just time for one of them to grab the job and run with it. With that being said, you will see them all on the field this season.
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August 12th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
One of my greatest VD memories was playing NCAA Football…I forget which year…and calling the play where the TE goes deep. There wasn’t a DB or LB in the game who could keep up with him. Assuming the pass was on the money it was an automatic TD.
Also I got my fantasy football mag the other day, VD was the #5 TE in it. Are you kidding me??? 13 TD’s and there are 4 better than him? Granted SF may not use him as much with Crabtree emerging, but come on… When it’s 3rd and goal from the 5, who are you going to go to?
August 12th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Check that comment. It should read playing NCAA Football on PS2. I never played actual NCAA Football….but had I I’m sure it would have been a great memory.
August 13th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
It would have been a great comment unless you played for a 2-10 team. Just kidding. It was a TE seam play I think it was called. I threw a lot of interceptions from trying too many times to force the ball in there.
August 13th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
My favorite memory of VD took place in our blown upset of FSU in 2005. A little more than a minute left, down 8, Statham throws him a 3-yd dump in the flat. As he turns up the field the FSU corner comes flying in to make the hit and VD just throws him on his back, sheds 2 more tackles, and charges ahead to just short of the 1st down marker. As Tarico said during the reply: “Timmy, that’s sick!”