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  6. article_body => "<p>Frankly, Maryland football has been tough to watch for the better part of the last decade.<\/p>\n<p>There have been a few decent seasons here and there, but no bowl wins since 2010 against East Carolina. The Terps are 20-30 since joining the Big Ten.<\/p>\n<p>That said, there are still a handful of reasons to watch Maryland football this season. Here are the three best ones:<\/p>\n<h4>1. Local high school superstar&nbsp;Kasim Hill leads a crop of young, talented Terps.<\/h4>\n<p>Hill was a four-star quarterback coming out of St. John's College High School in 2017. After bursting onto the scene as a true freshman last season, he's poised to win the starting job after a knee injury cut last year short. He'll team with fellow former four-star local running back Anthony McFarland to lead a rejuvenated Terps offense against a dubious Big Ten schedule.<\/p>\n<h4>2. Former top overall recruit Byron Cowart is attempting to revive his college career.<\/h4>\n<p>In 2015, Byron Cowart was supposed to be the next big thing. After two years of underwhelming football at Auburn, he sat out 2017 and has resurfaced in College Park with a new attitude and hunger to be great. If he can tap into some of the potential that made him so coveted coming out of high school, he'll form a dangerous duo of defensive ends with Jesse Aniebonam, who's returning for a fifth season after a fractured ankle&nbsp;ended his 2016 campaign in Week 1. The last time he played a full season, he led the team with 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks.<\/p>\n<h4>3. The two highest-rated recruiting classes in history are poised to shine.<\/h4>\n<p>Maryland has not traditionally recruited well despite sitting in the middle of one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country. But after signing back-to-back top-30 classes full of blue-chip recruits, many of whom are local, things are looking up. They may be young, but members of the classes of 2017 and 2018 are already projected in the two-deep heading into fall camp. Many could be difference-makers once live action comes around.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing is for sure with Maryland football, but heading into 2018, there's a new feeling of optimism and excitement&nbsp;around the program. Don't get caught sleeping if the Terps have a surprisingly good year.<\/p>\n"
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Maryland Terps

Maryland Terps

Frankly, Maryland football has been tough to watch for the better part of the last decade.

There have been a few decent seasons here and there, but no bowl wins since 2010 against East Carolina. The Terps are 20-30 since joining the Big Ten.

That said, there are still a handful of reasons to watch Maryland football this season. Here are the three best ones:

1. Local high school superstar Kasim Hill leads a crop of young, talented Terps.

Hill was a four-star quarterback coming out of St. John's College High School in 2017. After bursting onto the scene as a true freshman last season, he's poised to win the starting job after a knee injury cut last year short. He'll team with fellow former four-star local running back Anthony McFarland to lead a rejuvenated Terps offense against a dubious Big Ten schedule.

2. Former top overall recruit Byron Cowart is attempting to revive his college career.

In 2015, Byron Cowart was supposed to be the next big thing. After two years of underwhelming football at Auburn, he sat out 2017 and has resurfaced in College Park with a new attitude and hunger to be great. If he can tap into some of the potential that made him so coveted coming out of high school, he'll form a dangerous duo of defensive ends with Jesse Aniebonam, who's returning for a fifth season after a fractured ankle ended his 2016 campaign in Week 1. The last time he played a full season, he led the team with 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

3. The two highest-rated recruiting classes in history are poised to shine.

Maryland has not traditionally recruited well despite sitting in the middle of one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country. But after signing back-to-back top-30 classes full of blue-chip recruits, many of whom are local, things are looking up. They may be young, but members of the classes of 2017 and 2018 are already projected in the two-deep heading into fall camp. Many could be difference-makers once live action comes around.

 

Nothing is for sure with Maryland football, but heading into 2018, there's a new feeling of optimism and excitement around the program. Don't get caught sleeping if the Terps have a surprisingly good year.