Coach-to-player comms, sideline tablets tested in bowl games, but some schools decided to hold off

The possibility of college teams using NFL-style communication technology has been viewed with a little more urgency in the aftermath of the Michigan sign-stealing scandal

Billy Edwards Jr. became a test pilot of sorts for the type of helmet communication technology that might soon become commonplace in college football.

And the Maryland quarterback was a fan.

“I think overall it was good,” Edwards said after the Terrapins beat Auburn in the Music City Bowl. “On one of my runs down there at the goal line on I think the first or second drive, (offensive coordinator Josh) Gattis is up there, and most times I think I’m thinking the same thing he’s saying, but he was saying they were in like a stick coverage, kind of like a zero look, and he was like, ‘Pull, pull, pull it.’ He just confirmed what I was thinking."

In the aftermath of the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, the possibility of college teams using NFL-style communication technology has been viewed with a little more urgency. And with non-playoff bowls sometimes looking more like 2024 exhibition games than 2023 postseason games, teams have taken advantage of the opportunity to try out various devices.

Maryland had access to coach-to-player communication technology, as well as sideline tablets showing video of previous plays. The latter created some interesting moments for Terrapins coach Michael Locksley.