Maryland Terps running back Roman Hemby eyes breakout season

The Maryland Terps are a week away from kicking off a new season against UConn on August 31 in College Park.

Running back Roman Hemby, who played his high school football at The John Carroll School, is among the Terps key returners. He gained 680 yards last season, but the year before, he racked up nearly 1,000 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns.

The redshirt junior said he's ready for a bounce-back season.

"You know, it's minor things for me, just to kind of get back to where I was," Hemby said. "I feel like I wasn't too far off. But, you know, anything I can do to enhance my game is what I will do. I will say that last year, not being my best year, I was able to learn a little bit more about myself, how I was as a leader and how I was when times weren't great. You find who you are when things aren't going well and I was able to humble myself and get back to neutral and work on some minor things that will help me have a big year."

Hemby is entering a new season where the Big Ten has added more teams, making it an 18-team league.

The Terps have USC and Oregon, both which were previously in the Pac-12.

"I am very excited for it," Hemby said. "When you have big aspirations to play at the next level, when you see those good teams coming into the conference, you know, iron sharpens iron, just being able to go up against some good opponents across the country, your kind of see where you are and where you can fit."

New quarterback

The Terps will be starting the season with a new quarterback after the departure of Taulia Tagovailoa.

Head coach Mike Locksley has yet to name a starter. There's a battle for the position between Billy Edwards Jr., MJ Morris and Cameron Edge.

"I feel like we got a capable room," Locksley said. "Any of those guys who have competed have the ability to help us, but I feel going into UConn, we will know Sunday and the public will know Saturday when we go out for the first drive. "

Sacrifice

Lockley has shown up to camp slimmed down.

WJZ asked what inspired him to lose that weight.

"We talk a lot about sacrifice with this team and what it's going to take for us to take the next step," Locksley said. "And I said it isn't about the football but what are you willing to sacrifice for this team. And, for me going into the quarterback room and coaching them every day on the front line as a position coach, I ask our coaches to run from drill to drill. I sacrificed giving up being lazy. Let's go lose the weight."