COLLEGE PARK — DJ Durkin wasn't sure what his plan would be for Saturday morning's open scrimmage yet after Friday's practice. The Maryland coach and his staff still needed to sit down and evaluate injuries and how much work they were planning to give different players over the course of the 2 1/2-hour session and what position battles were in what stages.
But the scrimmage will give the public its first view into the changes that Durkin and company have made at Maryland, and the Terps are excited for the chance to showcase how they've changed since their last game in November and since spring practice ended in April.
"I'm looking forward to it," wide receiver DeAndre Lane (Catonsville) said Friday. "It's kind of like a glimpse of the season. They can see the improvements we've made as a team all together. After that, it's the road to Game 1."
The last time Maryland took the field in front of fans was at April's annual Red-White spring football game, when the Terps showcased a limited version of their offense and defense to cap spring practice. Both sides of the ball stayed in base formations and didn't give too much away.
Saturday could be a chance for certain players to make gains in their position battles. Senior cornerback Will Likely has been in a yellow noncontact jersey for all of fall camp, while his counterpart, sophomore transfer JC Jackson was wearing a yellow jersey during Friday's practice. If Durkin keeps them limited for the open scrimmage, younger players could get more reps and more chances to impress with a crowd watching.
"Every position's a little different," Durkin said. "Those are constant conversations with our roster. We're going to get out there and scrimmage, and we'll do several different tempos and situations and all that, but it's really, some positions there's three, four guys competing for one spot and some there's one or two. It's by position and we're constantly looking at this stuff."
Maryland is in the process of unveiling plenty of cosmetic changes. There's offensive coordinator Walt Bell's uptempo system, while Durkin and defensive coordinator Andy Buh are installing an aggressive, attacking defense. There are plenty of new faces such as Jackson and running back transfer Trey Edmunds, who fans will get their first look at in a Terps uniform.
But Durkin has worked hard to install a hard-nosed competitive culture in College Park, and Lane anticipates that will be clear to any observers in the stands at Maryland Stadium on Saturday morning.
"I think they'll see improvement," Lane said. "They'll see a different team — guys that go out there, give it their all every play."
"It's going good," defensive tackle David Shaw said of the transition under Durkin this month. "He won't allow it not to. He's forcing us to do it. We're getting to that level. We're getting better every day."
Durkin expects Saturday's scrimmage to mirror the intensity of Maryland's daily practices.
The Terps have competition periods near the end of every practice, and the losing side has to run extra after each. Last week, freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison delivered a victory for the offense. On Friday, the defense got the better of the offense. Each side has had its victories in the different periods, whether it's in the red zone or two-minute drills, and Durkin hopes those portions late in practice pay off during games.
"Every day out here's almost like a scrimmage day a little bit in some aspects," Durkin said. "There's competitive parts of practice all the time, and so it's constantly being evaluated for our guys."
Maryland is two weeks away from its first game of the Durkin era in College Park. Lane and the Terps want the fans to not only see the changes in skill and scheme but also the new demeanor of Maryland with Durkin at the helm.
"[We're] having fun," Lane said. "That's the big thing, especially at this level. You have to have fun because it's hard for everybody. They'll see us having fun. They'll see a new team."
Quick hits: Junior defensive end Jesse Aniebonam missed practice with an illness, while redshirt sophomore Melvin Keihn (Gilman) was wearing a yellow noncontact jersey. They're both competing at the "buck" spot in Durkin's defense. Durkin hadn't decided on their status for Saturday's open scrimmage. Sophomore Nnamdi Egbuaba (St. Frances) and freshman Dion Goldbourne replaced them with the first-team defense. ... Jackson was also wearing a yellow noncontact jersey. ... Senior quarterback Caleb Rowe returned to practice and worked with the second-team offense. "Caleb's doing well," Durkin said. "He's all along been at all our meetings, all that. Obviously, he's got a good idea of what he's doing and it's good to have him back out there." ... Wide receiver Taivon Jacobs (undisclosed injury) missed practice again, and Durkin didn't provide a timetable for his return. ... Freshmen quarterbacks Tyrrell Pigrome and Max Bortenschlager both worked with the second-team offense in practice. ... Sophomore wide receiver Jahrvis Davenport caught an impressive touchdown from Pigrome and impressed Durkin. "Jahrvis is a guy on the fringe of just getting it, you know?" Durkin said. "He has those moments. He had a really good day today and I think that'll just boost his confidence." ... Three-star Potomac running back Tayon Fleet-Davis, who committed to Maryland last month, was in attendance at practice. ... Scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders were present for the early portion of practice.
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