Wujciak hoping to break out

In the second of the Terrapin football team’s three intrasquad scrimmages during preseason camp last month, coach Ralph Friedgen wanted to limit Alex Wujciak’s time on the field.

Wujciak is just about fully recovered from minor offseason knee surgery — his third knee operation and the second on his left knee since he joined the Terps in 2006 — but the Terps’ coaches had been careful with the All-ACC middle linebacker all camp and didn’t want him to overdo it.

When Friedgen addressed the media the next day and made some lingering observations about the scrimmage, he flashed a proud yet incredulous grin when he talked about Wujciak.

“You know we held Wujciak,” Friedgen said. “He played 12 plays and had five tackles in 12 plays.”

Wujciak missed all of spring practice, and he has been handled with care during summer workouts and in the preseason. He impressed his coaches by arguing against getting certain days off during two-a-days, when most players would have loved to have a break.
But the missed time hasn’t limited the expectations and accolades being thrust upon him from both within the Terps’ program and nationally.

The Terps are counting on Wujciak to stay healthy and to anchor an athletic defense that is looking to open some eyes this season.

Wujciak has been named to the watch lists for both the Bronco Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards given to the nation’s best defensive player, and he is a preseason All-ACC selection.

It is his year to truly break out.

“His value as a leader and as a consistent every-down performer has really grown going into this year,” linebackers coach Al Seamonson said. “If Alex Wujciak plays well, we’re going to have a chance to win because he’s the man in the middle and he’s got to make things happen.”

After redshirting his true freshman season in 2006 and then missing all of his redshirt freshman season with a torn ACL in 2007, Wujciak started to make a name for himself last season in his first year as a starter.

He dealt with persistent soreness in his knees — he also had to have his right knee scoped after his true freshman season — throughout the year, but the player his coaches call a “throwback” who “loves to play football” started all 13 games for the Terps.

Wujciak’s 133 total tackles were 39 more than anybody else on the team, but his lack of game-changing plays is what held him back from having a truly elite season, something Wujciak acknowledged.

Wujciak did not force any fumbles or intercept any passes last season, and he and the Terps are looking for that to change this year.

New defensive coordinator Don Brown is asking for a little bit of everything out of Wujciak this season, and Wujciak should be in a position to make more big plays in addition to getting his tackles.

He needs to be a complete middle linebacker for Brown’s aggressive, attacking system to be effective, and that means stopping both the run and the pass while occasionally getting after the quarterback.

“I’ll be in coverage a lot more so there will be more opportunities for interceptions,” Wujciak said. “But definitely the blitzing stuff should help me, too.”

Strong-side linebacker Adrian Moten has shown his talent and versatility and could have another good season in his own right, and redshirt freshman Demetrius Hartsfield is poised to make a name for himself at the starting weak side linebacker position Friedgen said he could hold down for the next four years.

“[Wujciak] ain’t the only one that’s probably going to be All-ACC,” Moten said.

But Wujciak, as is typical of any quality middle linebacker, is going to be counted on to be the glue that holds the entire defense together.

Wujciak and his coaches agree the missed practice time hasn’t affected his ability to learn Brown’s system, and he feels well-prepared heading into the season.

With no more scrimmages, the coaches won’t be limiting his snaps once the season starts against Cal on Saturday, and Wujciak should be able to let loose.

“I feel fine,” Wujciak said. “As long as we keep winning, I’ll be happy.”

schimmel@umdbk.com