Head coach Mike Locksley and the Terps will take the field this afternoon for their eighth practice through spring ball with a pair of scrimmages set ahead of the April 27 spring game. With several new faces through both the portal and high school ranks getting acclimated with the program, along with second and third-year players looking to take the jump into bigger roles, we take a look at five Terps generating buzz this spring.
C Josh Kaltenberger: Between the new portal additions, there are a couple ways to go along the offensive line at this juncture. Former Georgia lineman Aliou Bah has looked the part through the first half of camp while the buzz around Alan Herron at right tackle has him pegged as the next potential NFL lineman out of Maryland. But the nod goes to Kaltenberger, who through seven practices, has been able to showcase himself as the next starting center for the Terps. Kaltenberger arrived in late December and began building his rapport with the QBs on his QB-center exchanges while immersing himself in the playbook. Through the first seven practices, Kaltenberger has stabilized the position and made a seamless transition into the interior line. With Tamarus Walker getting another season to dial into his craft as the next potential starter, Maryland looks to have found its answer at center after splitting between Aric Harris and Mike Purcell one season ago.
CB Jalen Huskey: the cornerback room will be a focus when the portal opens next week with a need to add another veteran through the room. This spring, the CB room has a host of underclassmen who’ve flashed at times in practice. Perry Fisher was able to step up in the redzone in Saturday’s practice, Jonathan Akins has been able to make plays out of the nickel while walk-on Chantz Harley has been impressive in practice. But with a void in the cornerback room, Maryland has a clear-cut CB1 in Huskey to fill a major void in the room. Whether they can find another like Huskey in the portal will be the question starting next week.
OLB Neeo Avery: after being sidelined through his freshman season, Avery has been able to get back onto the field going through drills with the brace still on as he begins picking up the defensive scheme through installs and practice reps. Avery has lived up to the billing as expected thus far, which serves as a key boost to a room that already returned both Kellan Wyatt and Donnell Brown. Avery has been able add sizeable mass to his 6-foot-4 frame as he enters his redshirt freshman season thicker and ready to step into a feature role in the rotation. Getting acclimated to the speed of practice has been a steady progress for Avery, who is now developing into the latest piece to add confidence to what could be for the Terps’ front seven this fall.
TE Dylan Wade: the TE room has been one that Locksley has talked up since last season, and through the spring, the underclassmen have made the most of their reps. Even after losing a pair to the portal, the return of Wade and Preston Howard hasn’t deterred confidence in a tight end room that will once again be integral to the Terps’ passing game. Wade expressed interest in shifting to the defensive side of the ball after he verbally committed, but the athleticism that the 6-foot-2 tight end showcased always made him an ideal fit at tight end with the Terps. Halfway through his first spring ball with the program, Wade has showcased exactly that. Wade came down with an impressive catch in traffic over the middle during Saturday’s open practice in Baltimore, one of several plays the Florida native has made to prove himself as a viable option. Leon Haughton has added depth at the position this spring with his size making him a seamless fit at the position, but AJ Szymanski has also showcased improvement as a blocking tight end—a notable void in the room.
DT Taizse Johnson: Maryland lost veteran lineman Tre Colbert this offseason after exhausting his eligibility, but the defensive line returns ample experience with steady confidence surrounding the unit. Jordan Phillips steps back into his second season with the program, Quashon Fuller is with the ones back at defensive end while Tommy Akingbesote has rotated with Taizse Johnson inside. But if there’s a player whose stepped up along the defensive line, both on and off the field, it’s Johnson. After starting two games Fuller- Johnson-Phillips were working with the first-team defense during Saturday’s practice and Johnson and Phillips have been at the center of the defensive line winning the battles against the offensive line during the live portions. The former St. John’s product has also stepped up as a defensive leader alongside LB Ruben Hyppolite and Dante Trader Jr., giving the defense another vocal leader heading into what may prove to be Maryland’s best defense in the Locksley era.
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