Sitting on one of college football’s hottest seats entering the 2025 season, Maryland coach Mike Locksley explained Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days why the 2024 campaign was a major disappointment for the Terps.
Player compensation — with widely-dispersed haves and have nots — was a season-long issue that metastasized throughout his roster.
“You go outside my locker room 1753278985 and I have a sign that says: ‘Leave your Louis belts, leave your financial statements and your car keys outside of this locker room, because in here we’re all going to pay the same price for success or failure,'” Locksley said. “If I’ve got to put my desk in that locker room, I will. A valuable lesson learned.”
Division was created through various uneven NIL deals and fundraising as Locksley tried to combat the ever-changing landscape within college football.
Maryland stumbled to a 4-8 record, Locksley’s third losing season in six years, and the immediate health of the program was affected.
“I own the fact that I lost my locker room,” Locksley said during an interview with ESPN. “And this is Coach Locks, the locker room king, telling you this landscape, I had to choose between paying young players who were coming in or reward the older players that have been through the fire, three bowl wins, and I tried to do both with limited resources. And that’s what you get: a locker room with the haves and have-nots.”
Taulia Tagovailoa saga was palpable
Locksley got his first taste of player-specific demands following the 2022 season after his multi-year starting quarterback, Taulia Tagovailoa, came to him wanting more money while threatening a transfer. Tagovailoa had a $1.5 million offer on the table from an SEC program looking to poach Maryland’s top returning player.
“Taulia had so much going on that at one point he just needed a full day to decompress and get his mind together,” Maryland offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said during an interview with CBS Sports. “Because of the nature of college football and the quarterback market, you think no one should talk to your kids, but this word ‘tampering’ is not enforced. There’s all different ways that people get in contact with players.”
The worry for the Terps lasted throughout spring practice, up to the evening before the spring game. Meanwhile, Locksley was forced to reach out to several high-end boosters and explain the situation and need to keep his starting quarterback in tow.
Ultimately, Maryland convinced Tagovailoa to stay with a six-figure deal short of the $1.5 million offer elsewhere.
Next move for Maryland
Locksley is 16-40 against Big Ten competition during his time at Maryland and lost seven games in league play by 10 points or more last season.
The Terps will take the field in a few weeks with a quarterback battle on their hands featuring former UCLA transfer Justyn Martin and true freshman Malik Washington. Much of the success under center will be baed on Maryland’s improvements up front, an offensive line that was the lowest-graded among the Power 4 last fall.
With a preseason win total set at 4.5, it’s likely going to be an uphill climb Locksley and the Terps.
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