Football's preparation unchanged as Miami's scandal swirls

NOTE: Eight Miami football players have since been suspended for Monday's season opener. For more on their suspensions, click here.

As it emerges from preseason camp and prepares for its season opener Monday night, questions surrounding the Terrapins football team still abound. Whatever uncertainties the Terps will face this Labor Day, though, pale in comparison to those surrounding their opponent, Miami.

In the wake of a scandal that continues to swirl around former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, who allegedly provided benefits to Miami recruits and players from 2002 to 2010, the school last week reportedly declared 12 Hurricanes ineligible.

Whether those players, including quarterback Jacory Harris and preseason All-ACC picks safety Ray Ray Armstrong and linebacker Sean Spence, will play in Monday's game remains unclear.

But as the NCAA's investigation into Shapiro's alleged beneficiaries continues, first-year coach Randy Edsall said the Terps' preparation will go unchanged.

"I don't think it's a distraction for us at all because it's not guys on the University of Maryland that this is maybe happening to," Edsall said in a teleconference Saturday. "It doesn't really affect us whatsoever.

"We had to go prepare to play a game. Regardless of if they do have players that were supposed to be playing that aren't going to play, our job is to go out and play to the best of our ability ... regardless of who we line up against."

Still, there's little doubt the Terps are keeping a close eye on the NCAA's investigation.

The centerpiece of Miami's question marks comes under center. And while Harris told the Associated Press on Saturday that he expects to play in the opener, the senior's absence might not be especially impactful.

Harris' backup, sophomore Stephen Morris, appeared in six games for the Hurricanes last season, including four starts against ACC teams. He threw for 286 yards and a touchdown in a 26-20 victory over the Terps last November.

Edsall knows Miami's personnel likely won't matter if the Terps can't string together a 60-minute effort in the coach's first game on the Byrd Stadium sidelines.

"We've already started on Miami," Edsall said. "We look at what we have to do, and we have to do it regardless of who we're going up against."

DEPTH CHARGES

While there were few surprises in the depth chart released Monday for the Terps' season opener, one thing was clear: This year's freshman class is expected to contribute.

Thirteen freshmen appear in the two-deep, and two — true freshman fullback Tyler Cierski and redshirt freshman cornerback Jeremiah Johnson — find themselves in starting spots.

Johnson is listed as one of two possible starters opposite cornerback Cameron Chism, a slot Johnson shares with sophomore Dexter McDougle.

Running back D.J. Adams, in perhaps the biggest surprise of the new two-deep, wasn't listed behind starter Davin Meggett. In his place are running backs Jeremiah Wilson and Justus Pickett, another true freshman. Edsall was unavailable to comment on Adams, who scored 11 rushing touchdowns last year.

LOGAN PUSHING UP

Tony Logan spiced up the Terps' highlight reels last season with his big-play ability as a punt returner, earning All-ACC honors with the nation's third-best punt-return average (18.1 yards) and two touchdowns.

This season, the fan favorite is pushing to expand his role beyond special teams, Edsall said Saturday.

A reserve wide receiver last season — the senior made his first career reception in the Terps' Military Bowl victory over East Carolina — Logan seems intent on bringing his explosive open-field ability to the offensive side of the ball, even if he hasn't yet cracked the team's two-deep at the position.

"[A] guy that I think made a lot of improvements in terms of showing me and everybody else that he just doesn't want to be a punt returner: That's Tony Logan," Edsall said Saturday. "I had a conversation with Tony at the end of the spring and again when he got back here about feeling that he could be more productive as a wide receiver, and he's a guy that really went out and worked."