Sean Davis was an easy first-place choice in our attempt to find the All-Randy Edsall team safeties. The other three candidates were neck-and-neck, and this team will have two safeties. In fairness to the other candidates, it's time for a runoff vote (like we did with wide receiver
Feel free to vote using whichever criteria you please. After we finish with each position, we'll post the results of the full team. Stats are only from the specific position during games played under Edsall.
Eric Franklin
Stats (two seasons): 154 tackles (90 solo), 5.5 for a loss, 10 pass deflections
Franklin was a reserve safety for the first two years of his career, breaking through as a sophomore in 2010 with three interceptions. He won the starting job heading into the 2011 season under Edsall, ranking second on the team with 106 tackles. Franklin's role moved much more towards coverage in his senior season, and he deflected six passes with 48 tackles that year.
A.J. Hendy
Stats (three seasons): 66 tackles (43 solo), 2.0 for a loss, two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns), four pass deflections, one fumble recovery
The most highly-touted recruit of Edsall's transition class, Hendy played in nine games as a true freshman in 2011, recording 30 tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown in the season finale against North Carolina State. His playing time drastically diminished the following year under new defensive coordinator Brian Stewart, recording four tackles in seven games. Hendy re-emerged in 2013, playing in 12 games with three starts. He recorded 32 tackles on the season, and was named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception for a 28-yard touchdown and recovering two fumbles in the Terps' blowout win over West Virginia. He missed the 2014 season due to an alleged violation of university conduct, and appears the heavy favorite to start beside Anthony Nixon at safety in 2015.
Anthony Nixon
Stats (three seasons): 163 tackles (101 solo), 3.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, eight pass deflections
Like Davis, Nixon wasn't considered one of Maryland's biggest gets in the 2012 recruiting class (Edsall's first full haul), but he's still managed to have a vital role in the defense since he stepped onto campus. He played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2012, starting five games and recording 41 tackles. He won the starting job with Davis towards the end of that year, and has held on to it since. Over the past two seasons as a starter at safety, he's recorded 61 tackles per year but has not been quite as strong in coverage. With Hendy opposite him this year, Maryland fans will get a chance to see a different pairing with Nixon.