Maryland football could have a great QB battle in 2017

Wednesday was an eventful day for the Maryland football program.

The team named Perry Hills the victor of a fall quarterback competition that never fully materialized, with Hills’ crowning over Caleb Rowe, Gage Shaffer and Tyrrell Pigrome only feeling like a formality. Defensive back Antwaine Carter left the program, and Maryland has now pretty well taken shape for the start of the 2016 season.

Potentially, though, the most consequential news of the day has nothing to do with this year. That’d be Maryland’s addition of former four-star quarterback and North Carolina transfer Caleb Henderson. The Washington Post’s 2013 All-Met Player of the Year, Henderson will sit out 2016 under NCAA rules and start an announced two years of eligibility in College Park with the 2017 season.

No one except North Carolina’s coaching staff has actually seen Henderson play for a while. He committed to the Tar Heels in the class of 2014, and he spent the last two years on the bench. (He’s got one total passing attempt in college.) So, who knows what Henderson will be for Maryland. It’s unknowable.

But Henderson has talent, and Maryland can use all the talented quarterbacks it can find. The Terps already have a four-star QB commit for 2017 in local product Kasim Hill, and now it looks like they’ll have two. (Hill’s commitment is non-binding, which makes the enrollment of another talented QB even more important.)

The upshot here: Maryland is currently slated to enter camp with five legitimate competitors to start at quarterback in 2017: Henderson, Hill, Tyrrell Pigrome, Gage Shaffer and Max Bortenschlager. Could there be attrition from that, or other emergent options? Of course. The benefit of having depth is being ready for what you don’t know, and Maryland now has another option with upside. That’s crucial.

In other news

A look at Maryland’s defensive line, which has to reload. There are numbers here, at least, and I think it’s likelier than not that the unit does OK.

From yesterday morning, a note on how we’ll cover this season.

An update on Maryland baseball and a sizzling summer.

The most fun thing of the day (at least that I did) was read all of my SB Nation friends’ stories about their favorite NCAA Football video game dynasties. RIP.

Maryland tossed shade at Michigan over a logo on Twitter, or something.