Maryland begins year five of the Mike Locksley era when spring practice begins on Tuesday. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and wide receiver Jeshaun Jones headline the Terps heading into spring ball as Maryland welcomes plenty of new faces along both the roster and coaching staff after a hectic offseason. While Maryland will join the country and work through depth issues this spring as they await the summer enrollees, we look at the five biggest questions.
Ironing out starting OL
Maryland appeared set to roll out its new look offensive line after signing Corey Bullock and Gottlieb Ayedze out of the transfer portal this offseason…until Mason Lunsford opted to transfer at the start of the new year. That leaves a void at left guard with veteran like Amelio Moran now standing with the most to gain as he’ll be leaned on to fill the spot this spring. Ayedze joins the program where he takes over Jaelyn Duncan’s spot at left tackle, while Corey Bullock fills Spencer Anderson’s role at right guard. DJ Glaze returns as the starting right tackle where he’ll get a chance to develop into an NFL talent with a big season. One position battle along the unit? Center, where Coltin Deery and Aric Harris will battle out the starting job. Deery got a chance to get his feet wet last season with a pair of starts and after postponing his wrestling career one year, he’ll work to fight to reclaim the starting job.
Beyond the starters, the spring will also be another building block for the future offensive line. Andre Roye has been with the twos since arriving in College Park and after reframing his body through year one, he’ll get a chance to develop behind Ayedze to become the future starter. Ja’Kavion Nonar and Keon Kindred both worked with the scout team last fall as they get a chance to round out the room, while LSU transfer Marcus Dumervil gives the room a likely future starter at right tackle.
Taulia building rapport with new supporting cast
Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus, Jacob Copeland—all gone. Consider CJ Dippre’s transfer to Alabama and the Terps will have to replace 40% of their production from last year’s passing attack. Luckily, Taulia Tagovailoa returns and has some familiar faces with Jeshaun Jones and Corey Dyches back for one more year. Jones and Dyches finished 1-2 on the team in receiving yards last season and will undoubtedly garner feature roles in the passing attack this fall, but they won’t be alone.
Maryland went out and added Kaden Prather and Tyrese Chambers from the transfer portal, two complementary wideouts who give the room NFL talent. Prather, who we called arguably the most exciting transfer this offseason, got a chance to flash his potential with the Mountaineers and enters the spring in tip-top shape. Chambers, meanwhile, gives the room a speedster as the return home has long been something that the Baltimore native has looked for. Don’t sleep on Tai Felton, either, who’s impressed with his route tree to go along with his blazing top-end speed. Maryland also signed Ryan Manning, whose drawn rave reviews through the offseason, along with Braden Wisloski as the duo get a chance to carve their niche on offense.
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Finding next blocking TE
The transfer of CJ Dippre to Alabama may be the departure that stings most on the offensive side of the ball as new position coach Kevin Sumlin turns in-house to fill the need. The obvious candidate is H-back Joe Bearns, who saw the most time in goal line packages last season, while third-year tight end Leron Husbands gets a chance to live up to his billing as a balanced tight end this spring. Husbands has the most to gain heading into the spring, but Sumlin will also be tasked with bringing the tight end room along.
Preston Howard will get his first big chance on the field at tight end this spring after missing the bulk of his freshman season due to injury, while Rico Walker will begin his career on the offensive side of the ball as the uber-athletic tight end. Walker’s upside and NFL future may sit on the defensive side of the ball, but the athleticism that he carries with his frame makes him an option in the passing game. Between Walker and Dyches, Maryland shouldn’t have problems leaning on the room but solidifying their blocking tight end sits near the top of this spring’s to-do list.
Rebuild Defensive Line
Maryland’s defensive line will welcome three new starters this fall as defensive coordinator Brian Williams rebuilds the trenches. Taizse Johnson and Tommy Akingbesote return to anchor the line while Quashon Fuller steps into an increased role, but it’s hard to talk about the defensive line without acknowledging Jordan Phillips, the former Tennessee lineman who transferred in back in December. After appearing in three games for the Vols last season, Phillips has garnered praise for the strength given his 6-foot-2 frame and could challenge Akingbesote for a starting job.
Phillips has also become a key recruiter for the Florida targets who’ve visited campus over the last month, and he enters the spring with a chance to be arguably Maryland’s most impactful transfer. Daniel Owens, meanwhile, is in the midst of his first full offseason where he can develop into a JACK or defensive end while freshman DJ Samuels will get a chance to test his pass rush on the college level.
Getting familiar with everyone
Sure, Maryland has plenty of familiar faces on both sides of the ball to maintain the standard that head coach Mike Locksley routinely references during his tenure in College Park. But this will also mark the first offseason where head coach Mike Locksley and the staff lean on newer faces in key roles.
Maryland will be without starting safety Dante Trader this spring as he shines in his first season of college lacrosse, giving former Miami safety Avantae Williams to work closer with new safeties coach Zac Spavital. With the wide receiver turnover, Maryland has a blend of new and familiar faces, but also has young pieces like Shaleak Knotts, Leon Haughton to go along with the pair of freshmen this spring. The defensive line, meanwhile, will look completely different from a season ago. Maryland’s work in the transfer portal filled a lot of those needs with guys like Ayedze, Bullock, Prather, Chambers, Phillips and Donnell Brown (summer enrollee) all stepping into starting roles, but this spring will mark the first time that the roster gets to work closer together.
Maryland welcomes four new position coaches—Josh Gattis, Kevin Sumlin, Zac Spavital, Latrell Scott—to along with plenty of new faces along the roster. While the scheme won’t change on either side of the ball, getting everyone aligned and on the same page will be an underrated theme for Maryland this spring as they get the playbook and terminology down. Maryland has a chance to keep the buzz rolling with a chance at a third consecutive bowl appearance this season and spring marks the first step in setting the foundation to achieve that.
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