Maryland Terrapins Football

The Maryland Terrapins added a major piece under center heading into the 2019 season. 

On Monday, former Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Josh Jackson announced he was headed to the Big Ten East:

Jackson, who will be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer, missed all but three games last season with the Hokies due to a leg injury. However, he proved himself as a dual-threat playmaker in 2017 with 2,991 passing yards, 324 rushing yards and 26 total touchdowns.

Jeff Ermann of 247Sports noted Jackson will likely compete with Tyrrell Pigrome to become the starting quarterback. Pigrome and Kasim Hill, who suffered a torn ACL last season, have both entered their names in the transfer portal, but Ermann said Pigrome is "expected to return."

Pigrome completed 55.2 percent of his passes for 561 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in 11 games during the 2018 campaign.

This is a major win for head coach Mike Locksley, who Maryland hired in December after he served as offensive coordinator at Alabama. Locksley has an offensive background and now has a new quarterback to work with heading into his first season at the new position.

The Terrapins are looking to bounce back from a 5-7 season and haven’t enjoyed a winning record since 2014. However, one reason for the struggles is a loaded Big Ten East that includes Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State. Their success out of conference included victories over the Texas Longhorns the past two seasons.

They now have a dual-threat quarterback in Jackson who will look to bolster an offense that was a mere 69th in the country in points per game last season.

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts is visiting the University of Maryland this weekend after entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal earlier this week, per 247Sports' Jeff Ermann.

Per Ermann, Hurts is expected to be in attendance at the Maryland-Indiana basketball game Friday night.

That may just be the start of a busy weekend for the 20-year-old, though. ESPN's Alex Scarborough reported Hurts will also visit Miami this weekend.

Ermann notes that Oklahoma and TCU are also among the potential landing spots for the former SEC Offensive Player of the Year. However, the Terrapins may be the most logical fit, given the quarterback's connection to the coaching staff.

Last month, Maryland hired Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley as its head coach. Locksley had been a part of Nick Saban's staff in Tuscaloosa since 2016, meaning Hurts would be familiar with Locksley's offensive system.

"He's super comfortable around [Locksley]," a source told Ermann. "He's like a second father to him."

After being the starting quarterback for his first two years at Alabama, Hurts is coming off a season in which he served as the backup to Heisman Trophy runner-up Tua Tagovailoa. In 13 appearances this past season, the junior completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 765 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, adding 167 yards and two scores on the ground.

Hurts' decision to remain at Alabama this past season resulted in a moment of redemption as he replaced an injured Tagovailoa and rallied the Crimson Tide to a 35-28 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game on Dec. 1. That helped Alabama clinch the conference crown and wrap up a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Hurts, however, once again found himself on the bench for the College Football Playoff as Tagovailoa had recovered from his ankle injury. Hurts ultimately entered the national championship game in garbage time, and that may have been his final appearance with the Crimson Tide.

Back in April 2018, Hurts' father, Averion, told Bleacher Report's Matt Hayes that Jalen would be "the biggest free agent in college football history" if he decided to transfer from Alabama. The process is just getting underway, but Hurts now has the opportunity to explore all of his options.