Locksley’s top two offensive assistants departed this offseason. Dan Enos, previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, left for the same job at Arkansas, and Mike Miller, the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, departed to become the offensive coordinator at Charlotte.
Sumlin takes over Miller’s former role, and his title of co-offensive coordinator suggests Locksley plans to name an additional coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Maryland also needs to add a safeties coach after Wes Neighbors departed for Mississippi.
Sumlin has 13 seasons of experience as a college head coach at Houston (2008-11), Texas A&M (2012-17) and Arizona (2018-20). He compiled a 95-63 record over those years. Sumlin hasn’t been an assistant since 2007, when he served as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Oklahoma, and he most recently worked in the USFL as the coach of the Houston Gamblers.
“Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff and I couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s joining our program,” Locksley said in a statement provided by the school. “My relationship with Kevin goes back over 25 years. He has a tremendous football mind, along with a proven track record of developing players and winning at the highest levels. I’m excited to welcome him and his family to College Park.”
Sumlin coached Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel in 2012 and 2013 at Texas A&M. Manziel threw for 7,820 yards during those two seasons as the Aggies finished 11-2 in 2012 and 9-4 the next year. Those were Sumlin’s best seasons with Texas A&M, and he was fired in 2017.
Maryland’s offense has shown promise since Tagovailoa’s arrival in 2020. Tagovailoa, who has been Maryland’s starter the past three seasons, broke the program’s records for career passing yards (7,879) and single-season passing yards (3,860 in 2021). The 2023 season will be his last for the Terrapins.
The 2021 season was Tagovailoa’s most productive. He was limited at times and missed a game with a nagging knee injury in 2022. This season, Tagovailoa will work with a mostly new group of primary wide receivers after Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus Jr. and Jacob Copeland departed for the NFL draft.
Locksley brought in transfer wide receivers Tyrese Chambers (Florida International) and Kaden Prather (West Virginia), and Maryland has a group of less experienced options — Octavian Smith Jr., Tai Felton, Shaleak Knotts and Leon Haughton Jr. — who could take on expanded roles. Jeshaun Jones, the team’s leading receiver in 2022 as a fifth-year player, has another season of eligibility remaining and is on the roster for the spring, but he has yet to announce whether he will return for the 2023 season. (Players can transfer after spring practices.)
Maryland returns top running back Roman Hemby (989 rushing yards) and tight end Corey Dyches (494 receiving yards), but the Terps lost tight end CJ Dippre, who transferred to Alabama, and three starters on the offensive line.
Source: News