Michigan will face two new head coaches this season. One likely comes to mind quickly for U-M fans: Ohio State's Ryan Day. The other is Mike Locksley at Maryland, whom the Wolverines will visit on Nov. 2.
Locksley spent last season as Alabama's offensive coordinator, on a staff that included current Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. There were reports that Gattis might follow Locksley to Maryland until Jim Harbaugh called with a job offer.
Locksley has been a head coach before. He was at New Mexico from 2009 until four games into the 2011 season, his firing the culmination of a disastrous 2-26 mark. He was Maryland's interim coach for the second half of the 2015 season (the Terrapins went 1-5 in those games).
His career record of 3-31 may not inspire much confidence, but Maryland is hoping for some stability after last year.
One-time Michigan assistant D.J. Durkin was put on administrative leave before the season following the death of a player, Jordan McNair, during a team workout. Durkin was eventually fired in October.
Interim coach Matt Canada led Maryland to a hot start: a win over Texas in the season opener looked even better by the end of year, and the Terps started 3-1. They lost their final four games, however -- they were a two-point conversion away from stunning Ohio State -- to finish 5-7, the program's fourth straight losing season.
That included a 42-21 loss at Michigan on Oct. 6, part of a 3-6 Big Ten record. After a weather delay of more than an hour, Maryland led 7-3 several minutes into the second quarter, thanks to a long kickoff return touchdown by Ty Johnson (an eventual Detroit Lions draft pick). Michigan ripped off 24 straight points to take control. Maryland threw for just 73 yards on the day.
To help the passing game, Locksley brought in Virginia Tech graduate transfer and Ann Arbor native Josh Jackson. Jackson, named the 2015 Ann Arbor News Player of the Year while starring for Saline, was the 16th-best player in the state in his class, according to the 247sports.com composite rankings.
His father, Fred, had been an assistant at Michigan for 23 years, but Harbaugh didn't show serious interest, and Jackson landed in Blacksburg. He started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and was productive as a dual-threat quarterback. He broke his fibula last September and missed most of the season. In total, he was 11-5 as a starter for the Hokies, with 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Jackson is competing with redshirt junior Tyrell Pigrome for the starting job. (Kasim Hill, who started against Michigan, tore his ACL later in the season and transferred.)
Whoever earns the spot can count on running back Anthony McFarland Jr., who cracked 1,000 yards on the ground -- at nearly eight yards per carry -- as a freshman last year. Maryland was 10th in the country last season in yards per rushing attempt.
Strong safety Antoine Brooks Jr. is good, but he's one of just four returning starters on defense. Ohio State transfer Keandre Jones, a linebacker, will help.
Maryland is absolutely still rebuilding, and the schedule, just like last year, is tough down the stretch. The Terps are at Minnesota the week before hosting Michigan, then go to Ohio State, host Nebraska, and travel to Michigan State. Michigan will be coming off a home game against Notre Dame.
Michigan has won four straight against Maryland, all by at least 21 points, last losing during the Terps’ first year in the Big Ten, in 2014.