Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown progressing in recovery

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen fielded plenty of questions the last few months about Danny O'Brien and Jamarr Robinson.

C.J. Brown, meanwhile, was barely mentioned after his redshirt freshman season ended barely after it began. Brown suffered a broken collarbone Sept. 11 against Morgan State in his first series and is out the rest of the year.

Friedgen said Brown was in to visit him earlier this week as Maryland faces the start of its stretch run.

"He's doing OK," Friedgen said. "I just told him he has to hang in there, he has to sit in the meetings and learn as much as you can. That's an area where he was coming on. I still think he's got the potential to be a very, very good quarterback. He's very mobile and he has a strong arm and a smart guy. He's just further behind because of his high school development."

That was the issue all along, and it's what permitted O'Brien to create some separation in the spring and summer. Now, O'Brien has secured the starting job and has thrown nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He's fifth in the ACC in passing efficiency (ahead of Miami's Jacory Harris and Clemson's Kyle Parker, among others), and Maryland has won three of his four starts.

Friedgen insists O'Brien's success doesn't impact how he views Brown's future with the program.

"Obviously, he sees Danny succeeding, and I'm sure that's something that's on his mind," Friedgen said. "But I like all my kids. Who knows what the future is going to hold? I'd like to keep all the quarterbacks we have right here."

Comments

[ngaterp]

O'Brien's been outstanding to date, but CJ Brown probably has the best set of skills of all the QB's. What is really special is just how good all four of these young players (Burns & Smith this year) are as a group. We may have as good a group of young QB's as any team in the country...