Lance LeGendre looks to fight for a starting spot in 2020

Our summer profile series is back and we’re previewing Maryland football one position group at a time.

We’ve gone over wide receivers, tight ends and running backs so far, and now we are reviewing the Terps’ quarterbacks. Mike took a look at senior Josh Jackson yesterday, and today we’ll talk about Lance LeGendre.

Lance LeGendre

Height: 6’1
Weight: 209
Year: Redshirt Freshman
High School: Warren Easton
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
2019 Stats: 1 Comp, 3 Att, 7 Yards, 13 Rush, 104 Yards

The background

LeGendre was a four-star recruit in 2018 and was listed as the No. 9 dual-threat talent in his class. On signing day, the NOLA native picked the Terps over consensus-favorite Florida State and was the first key signee in new head coach Mike Locksley’s latest tenure at Maryland.

As a senior, LeGendre completed 63 passes for 926 yards and 15 touchdowns while also adding 329 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries. Under LeGendre’s play, Warren Easton made it to the 2018 4A state championship game, but fell 28-20 to three-peat champion Edna Carr.

Many fans got to learn more about LeGendre after his senior season, when he was featured on QB1: Beyond the Lights with Spencer Rattler and Nik Scalzo.

LeGendre brings a blend of passing and rushing talents

While LeGendre hasn’t been able to prove much of his passing talents at the college level, his ability to throw is clear. In high school he showed his arm strength, ability to remain calm in the pocket and complete throws on the run when needed.

At Maryland, the bulk of LeGendre’s production as a freshman came on the ground, where he averaged eight yards per rush despite limited touches.

LeGendre made his debut against Howard, but he had his largest impacts in conference play. Against Michigan, LeGendre finished 1-of-2 passing with a seven yard completion and added 39 yards on seven rushes. He also showed his abilities against Nebraska on the ground with 35 yards on four carries, including a career-long 26 yard scamper.

While LeGendre did miss the end of the season due to an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, there’s no reason to believe that it will cause him to change as a player.

The starting spot is up for grabs

As mentioned in our preview of Josh Jackson, his play in early 2019 was promising but there is a clear need for more consistency in 2020.

Jackson served as a primary throwing quarterback, while Tyrrell Pigrome and Tyler DeSue also stood ahead of LeGendre on the depth chart. With Pigrome and Max Bortenschlager transferring and DeSue stepping away from football, the door is open for anyone to compete with Jackson for the starting spot.

Now that LeGendre has redshirted, he has a year in Locksley’s system and a year of college-level conditioning under his belt, which will allow him to be more competitive this time around.

The transfer of Taulia Tagovailoa from Alabama has brought in high-level competition at the position, but if he does not get cleared for a waiver by the NCAA it will be LeGendre and Jackson fighting for the starting job.

Even if LeGendre were to not be named the starter, he should see time on the field regardless due to his skill set and ability to make plays since he provides a more mobile skillset than Jackson and Tagovailoa.